Place of the Lost

A/N: This chapter is rather fluffy, but it's setting up for bigger things. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all of its Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

Chapter 14: Keeping Secrets

EPOV:

The rest of the day and evening were fairly quiet and serene. I strolled silently through the forest looking at trees and flowers and listening to the calls of birds. I sat on a large mossy rock by the creek and ran my fingers through the little current. The water was a lot like the venom that flowed through my veins. It too stopped the beating heart of a young lover, but this water was more kind. It let rest come to the one that lost everything. The venom gives life but takes everything else away. I stared into the ripples hoping for some sort of revelation, but it wouldn't come. I desperately longed for just one moment of clarity, a single second where this life made sense. I wanted to tell Jacob everything. I needed to confide in someone, but that was impossible. No one could ever understand what I was going through, except maybe the ghost of a mighty warrior and an Indian princess.

My pants were wet from sitting by the creek. I walked into the woods and gathered some tinder and rocks to build a fire. I arranged the stones in a circle and piled the dry fibrous tinder in the middle. I found a thick stick and large piece of wood. I notched out a small groove in the wood and placed the stick in the hole. I had never actually built a fire like this, but I read about it in one of my books. It was fiction, but I hoped that the author knew what they were talking about. I rubbed the stick between my palm, grinding it into the wood. After half an hour of trial error, I finally had a spark. I took a handful of tinder and lit it. I put large sticks over the burning twigs, and in a few minutes I had a fire. As I watched the flames roar and climb, I felt a satisfying sense of accomplishment. I slid my trousers down my legs and held them close to the fire. They dried quickly and felt extremely warm when I put them back on.

Evening fell, and the fire began to remind me of the flames in my throat. My desire for blood had been manageable since last night, but they roared when I acknowledged them. I needed to hunt. I turned from the fire and walked into the night. I took in a deep breath of forest air. There was a carnivore in the distance. It wasn't a cougar, but the aroma of it's blood was pleasing. I followed the scent through the trees and soon came to a clearing. Moonlight streamed through the break in the forest canopy, illuminating a grassy meadow. Yellow blossoms, washed in white moonbeams dotted the edge of the clearing. It was so beautiful and tranquil, that it momentarily made me forget my thirst. I stopped tracking the animal and took in the scene. I closed my eyes and tried to send the radiant peacefulness to Bella. I didn't want her to worry; I didn't want her heart to break. I made a promise to myself then and there that when this was over, when we could be together safely, I would bring Bella to this meadow and let her feel the peace for herself.

The flames were calling me, and the desire pulled me away from the tranquility. I crouched and gave into the desire. A throaty snarl escaped my lips, and my instincts were in control. Sprinting, through the forest the scent of the carnivore's blood became stronger with every bound. After only a few seconds of running, the creature came into view. A red fox darted through the bushes, and I quickened my pace. It had auburn fur and a white snout. He was cunning, but I was upon the animal in seconds. The small fox went down much quicker and easier than the mountain lion. I found myself missing the sport of the hunt of a larger animal. The blood wasn't as satisfying either, but it calmed the flames.

I left the dead animal on the forest floor and walked back to my fire. I had forgotten to take my shirt off, and there were droplets of blood spattered on my collar. I took the shirt off and walked over to the creek. Beating the white shirt on a rock and dangling it in the rapids, I cleaned the garment the best I could. I pulled the dripping shirt from the water and hung it on a branch over the fire. I tended the fire all night, adding wood and keeping the coals hot.

When the morning mist began to settle over the forest, I pulled my dry shirt from the branch and put the warm garment on my body. Jocassee woke up quickly. Before the horizon blazed with the rising sun, the smell of sizzling bacon filled the breeze that rose from the settlement. It didn't stoke my appetite, but I relished the familiar scent. It made me think of my mother. She was a good cook. I missed her.

I let the flames die down then dipped the rocks in the creek and put them on top of the fire. When the wet stones hit the hot coals a great cloud of steam emerged from the ground, but it melted into the morning mist. I sat in the fog, until the awful smell of my new friend intruded upon my sensitive nostrils. Jacob wasn't far away. I followed his scent through the forest and found him standing a little farther up the stream. His line was already in the water, and he had a deeply focused look on his face.

I stomped my feet loudly and crunched the dead leaves under my boots. He looked up from the water. "Good Morning Jake."

He smiled, "Morning Edward. How'd you sleep out here last night?" His thoughts revealed that he was happy to see me.

I chuckled, "Not a wink." I liked being able to tell the truth.

He had a concerned look on his face, "Do you need another tent or something?"

I grinned at him. It was nice to know that someone cared about me. "No, it's fine. Once I get used to the new atmosphere, I'm sure I'll sleep like a baby."

He appeared to be confused, "I would have thought that you slept very well. Your eyes look much better this morning. They were really bloodshot yesterday."

Damn, I was always giving something away, "Yeah my allergies act up out here."

His tone suddenly became curious, "Did you do something to the old lady at the top of the hill?"

Now I was confused. "What old lady?" "You know, the one who lives in the cabin just over the ridge."

I remembered catching the scent of an elderly woman in the first cabin yesterday, but we never actually spoke. "You're the only person I've met since I got here."

"Oh well, I wonder what her problem is? She's a crabby old bitty." His thoughts were as muddled as mine.

I furrowed my brows and interrupted him. "Jake, what are you talking about?"

"When I was walking home from the stream yesterday, she was standing in her front yard. I waved at her and she called me over. She asked if I had met anyone in the woods that day. I explained to her that you were camping out here for a while. She went ballistic, screaming and yelling at me. She wagged her boney old finger in my face, and told me to stay away from you if I valued my life. That woman is senile." Luckily, his thoughts showed that he didn't believe her.

I started to panic internally. That little old lady was on to me, but how? She must have spotted me when I walked through her yard yesterday. How did she know what I was? I faked a sarcastic laugh, "She must have saw me walking through the valley yesterday. Apparently I made quite a first impression."

He chuckled loudly. "It's all right. She doesn't like anybody, and the feeling is mutual. A lot of people think she's a witch."

I grinned, just a few days before I would have laughed that off. Things had changed. Vampires used to the be a creature of myth. Maybe witches were real too. "What do you believe?"

"Ah, I think it's bullshit. Widow Crowley is no witch, just a lonely, old, crabby woman. She's lived in that cabin since she was a kid. She knows a lot about herbal remedies, but I don't think she's gone to the crossroads to make any midnight deals with the devil. But I will say this, she's damn creepy. She's always out in the early morning, walking through the fog."

My curiosity was raging. "Widow Crowley? So she was married at some point?"

"Yeah, before I was born. She's always been Widow to me. My dad said her husband was mauled to death by an animal when he was out hunting. They don't know if it was a bear or a mountain lion. I guess she has a good reason to be bitter." Alarm bells started to sound in my head. I was almost certain that it was no animal that killed her husband, and she knew it. Jacob continued talking. "But it's best to stay away from her property. She might cast a spell on you." He snickered under his breath.

I smiled, "I won't bother her. Doesn't sound like she's interested in meeting me anyway." That was a lie. I had to talk to this woman. I was fairly certain that she knew about my kind. I could talk to her without hiding, and test my strength around a human who's scent I didn't find completely disgusting. Maybe she could give me my revelation, show me the bright spot in my miserable existence. She was obviously frightened by me, but I didn't want to harm her.

Jacob broke the long silence, "What do you have planned for today?" His thoughts told me that, that wasn't the real question.

"I don't know, a little hiking maybe some hunting." That was all the truth.

"Do you want to help me in the field today? I'll pay you."

He had a big job ahead of him today, and I wanted to be a good friend. The old lady could wait. I peered through the tree cover to catch a glimpse of the sky… overcast. "You don't have to pay me. What are we going to do?"

"Tobacco. There is an extra sickle in the barn. You just cut it off at the bottom of the stalk." I nodded and he pulled his empty line from the water. "Nothing biting again today." He shook his head in disgust. He threw the pole over his back, and I followed him to his house.

Jacob's cabin was small. It looked much like the others, thick logs, rock chimney and three glass windows with no curtains. There was a little dust-covered wooden porch in the front. "Are your parents inside?" I asked. I already knew there was a man in there, and his blood had the same scent as Jacob's. It wasn't as strong, but it was still positively repulsive.

He hung his head, and his tone was soft, "My mother died when I was very young; my dad doesn't get around so well. He was trampled by a horse a few years ago. He just takes care of things around the house." Another thing we had in common.

I looked at him sincerely, "I'm very sorry about your mother."

He nodded, "It's okay, it was a long time ago. Where are your parents?"

My face suddenly turned grave, "They were victims of the influenza, another reason why I left Chicago."

"God man I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" Jacob was a good friend; he hardly knew me and already cared so much.

"I didn't want to burden you with my past."

He scoffed at my apprehension. "It's all right. You can talk to me. I'm you're friend now Edward." I smiled at him. "Would you like to meet my father?" I nodded and we walked through the wooden door of the cabin, stirring up dust under our feet.

"Dad." he called. "I want you to meet some one." The wooden planks on the floor creaked as we walked. I saw a man sitting in a chair in front of the washbasin. He was doing the dishes. His hair was long and black. He had the same high cheek bones as his son, but his face was slightly wrinkled with age.

"Dad, this is the guy I was telling you about, Edward Masen." I waved childishly at his father, but he didn't lift his eye from the dish. "Edward, this is my father."

"Hello Mr. Black." I smiled as I greeted him.

"Call me Billy, it's nice to meet you Edward." He finally looked up and met my gaze. His eyes grew wide, and his hands began to tremble. The plate rattled in his grip.

Jacob interjected, "Well we're going to head out to the field, I'll see you at lunch." Billy nodded but his shocked expression remained unchanged. His voice was shaky "You two be careful out there." Jacob rolled his eyes at him, and I followed him out the door. His father gave me the strangest feeling. He looked like he was terrified of me. Did he know too? Was I that terrible at hiding my secret? The damn old lady saw me once and knew. Billy took one look at me and nearly had a nervous breakdown. Maybe I was imagining it. He didn't tell Jacob to leave me alone. If he really thought I was a vampire, he wouldn't have let his son befriend me.

We walked to the little barn and he threw the large wooden latch on the door and it swung open with a loud creak. The barn was filled with dust, hay and rusty farm tools. He walked to the corner where sickles hung on the wall. He handed me the first one and he took the second. He walked to the back of the barn to a little makeshift closet. He opened the door and pulled out a pair of boots. Tossing them to the ground, he smiled and said "These should fit. Don't want you getting your fancy city boots dirty." I laughed at him; he was so damn patronizing sometimes. My boots had stayed remarkably clean, considering the distance and terrain I had covered. I attributed it to my speed. I kicked off my shoes and reached for the grimy work boots. Tying the laces, I moved toward the door. Jacob led the way to the field.

"I hate this weather." He remarked in an annoyed tone as he stepped out of the barn. It didn't bother me, the elements were not match for the venom. I never felt too cold or too hot. I didn't sweat or shiver. I could understand why a human would hate this kind of weather. The overcast sky was filled with thunderheads, and the air was thick and humid. It felt sticky, and sweat wouldn't evaporate from human skin.

As we reached our destination, I saw long rows of green, leafy, tobacco plants about fifty yards long. Our boots crunched in the rocky soil. Jacob removed the sickle from his shoulder and approached the first plant. "Watch." he said. He slung the long blade with a swift strong stroke at the bottom of the stalk. It fell to the ground and he left it there. "We'll come back and pick up the crop when we're done." He continued on the first row and I started on the second. The sickle felt light in my strong grip, and the work was easy. I could see how it would be hard for a human. You had to hunch over the entire time, it would be back-breaking. I was glad to help Jacob. I could have worked much faster than him, but instead I kept pace.

After cutting about ten plants, I broke the silence. "Was your dad all right back there?"

He gave me a puzzled look, "You noticed that too? He did seem strange. I don't know what the problem was. He's usually an easygoing guy." I returned his confused expression. "Jeez Edward, you have quite an affect on people." He chuckled. "The old lady can't stand you, and you make my mellow father go ape shit. You're lucky I'm an exceptionally friendly person."

I rolled my eyes, and my tone was sarcastic. "And humble too. But seriously, does he not like me or something?"

He shook his head, "I'm sure it wasn't you. Maybe something happened this morning. I'll ask him about it later. Don't worry."

I immediately interjected, "No, don't do that. I don't want him to think I was offended or anything." I didn't need him telling Jacob my secret. He was the only friend I had out here.

He sighed, "Whatever," and continued chopping away at the tobacco. Row after row, I plowed through the field with ease, but I had to continually slow my pace. Jacob was obviously fatigued. Sweat was pouring from his temples, and his breathing was heavy. "Do you want to take a break and go to the river?" I nodded. He dropped his sickle in the dirt and turned to walk out of the field.

I walked slowly behind him and in a few minutes we were standing on the banks of the river. He walked down and kneeled by the flowing water, cupped his hands and splashed his face. I followed suit, sighing and pretending that I was hot and tired. He took a few drinks, and sat on a rock to rest.

Suddenly a weak voice called from the top of the hill in an angry tone, "Jacob Black!" We turned our heads in the direction of the voice, and saw an elderly lady walking towards us.

Jacob groaned in annoyance, "It's Widow Crowley." The woman was tiny, she couldn't have been over five feet tall. Her skin was pale. Her face was wrinkled, and her hair was white but long. She had it pulled back in a tight bun. She wore a blue dress with yellow flowers and a white apron.

She was fuming, "Unless you have a death wish, you best listen to me." I just stared at him with a confused look on my face.

He whispered to me under his breath, "I don't want to listen to this. Thank you for your help. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

I chuckled lightly as her yelling got louder. "See ya Jake."

She was standing directly over us and continued to scream, "Just wait til' your father hears about this. He'll hang you up by your toes." I tried to conceal my laughter

Jacob hung his head and turned to walk away, "I was just leaving Widow Crowley. You have a nice day." His tone was annoyed and sarcastic. He walked back towards the field and I stayed seated no the rock.

Now it was my turn. "And you…You best get out of here before I tell the whole your town your secret. Your kind isn't welcome here; I'm not afraid." Her thoughts told me a very different story. She was terrified of me, and her little stunt was just an effort to save Jacob's life. That was very kind of her. I guess underneath it all the bitter old witch did have a kind heart.

I smiled at her, trying to reassure her that I meant no harm. I needed her help. I needed to confide in her. I had to know what she knew. Maybe she could give me the thing I desperately needed more than anything else…hope. "I'm sorry to frighten you m'am. Please if you'll just let me explain myself, I think you'll understand. May I speak with you alone?"

A/N: I love the Jacob/Edward bro'mance. The lady better not ruin it! Thanks for reading. Please review!