Chapter Thirty Six

Charlie

I didn't sleep well and as a result I was up early but my host was already up and busy cooking breakfast. She turned when I walked in the kitchen,

"Breakfast is almost ready why don't you sit down Chief Swan."

I nodded and sat at the table but then it hit me, she'd called me Chief, so she knew who I was,

"How did you..."

She smiled broadly,

"It doesn't really matter does it? And Chief fits you so much better than plain Mr. Once you've had breakfast I'll drive you to Annie's place, it's quite a ride."

"Thank you."

"Oh I wouldn't thank me just yet Chief, you don't know what she's going to say when you meet."

"As long as she allows me to speak to Johnny H I don't care."

"There's no guarantee of that, if you don't impress Annie then you get no further so be careful and most of all be honest, she hates deception."

"Thanks for the tip"

I ate my breakfast in silence after this, I was one step closer but would I be able to persuade her that I was serious and that I wasn't lying?

She was right about the ride, it took us two hours over snowy roads before I saw a cabin in the distance, smoke curling up from the chimney and figures moving around outside.

"Does Annie have a family?"

"We are all her family Chief Swan, Annie looks after us all but if you are referring to the people outside no, she doesn't have a family as such. Its time for the food parcels to be distributed, some of our folk are very poor and rely on handouts."

"I see, so is it a bad time to speak to her?"

"No, you can accompany them. It might do you good to see the plight of some of our people, then you can go back to your house and job feeling better about yourself."

"An object lesson? OK I can do that"

As I got out of the truck the young men moving boxes from the house to the three SUV's stopped and stood staring at me and the looks weren't very friendly although not down right hostile either.

"This way please"

I followed my companion into the house and through to the huge kitchen that smelled of new bread and fresh coffee which had my mouth watering. Standing at the oven was an elderly woman bent slightly but with dark, only slightly dusted with grey, glossy hair in a plait that ran straight to her waist.

She didn't turn around but greeted me as she continued to take the fresh rolls from their tray,

"So Chief Swan. I understand you want to talk to me. As you can see I'm rather busy at the moment but I thought we could talk as we do the deliveries"

"Fine. Thank you for agreeing to see me"

She turned then and I saw grave grey eyes study my face,

"I'm always willing to listen Chief Swan, What I choose to take from the conversation is something else entirely. Just so we don't waste each others time you should know two things, I don't tolerate liars and I hate drinking coffee alone so please join me before we set off."

She brought over two mugs of wonderful smelling coffee and sat opposite me.

"Lets be clear Chief..."

"Charlie, its Charlie"

She smiled,

"Very well Charlie. I know why you are here and I am deeply disturbed by the things I have heard. For that reason alone I am willing to hear your side of the story but our tribes are very angry and it would take only one wrong word or deed to start a war with the vampires."

"I understand that, its why I'm here. I think you may have been told a less than truthful account of what happened in Washington."

"I understand your daughter is now one of them, was that planned or was she attacked?"

"Neither"

"Are you telling me there is another reason?"

"Yes, she was changed to save her life."

"But it didn't save her life Charlie, she's as dead as if she were in her grave. Vampires are not truly alive, not as we see it"

"Well I have to tell you I'd rather have my daughter with me in the world even as a vampire. It's preferable to mourning over her grave."

"Now they are the words of a loving parent, I applaud that."

As soon as we finished our coffee she handed me some boxes containing still warm rolls and I carried them at her instruction to one of the waiting trucks, then we climbed into the front with a young guy with the same grey eyes as Annie, maybe a relative I thought, quite obviously one of the tribe. He glanced at me then put the truck in gear and drove off in the opposite direction to the one I had come by.

"Well Charlie perhaps you could tell me your version of events that led to your daughter being bitten."

I tried to start from the very beginning, how I knew about the Quileute wolves and my dismay that they wouldn't help to protect the town I called home.

"You do understand that the sole reason for the guardians is to protect our own people from the vampires?"

"Yes, I just hoped they might extend that protection a little."

"I see...do go on"

I explained about Bella's visit and her decision to move up to Forks to live with me,

"That must have made you very happy Charlie"

"It did but she never made it. The car she was driving in was forced off the road..."

"A car that was driven by a vampire I understand"

"Yes but Bella didn't know that at the time and I thought with the weather conditions getting worse he would keep her safe."

"A vampire keep a human safe? That's a novel idea but sorry I interrupt too much"

I had just got to the part where Garrett and Bella were herded into the cave when the truck pulled up outside a small collection of huts and were welcomed by the inhabitants. They seemed very grateful to receive the fresh rolls and boxes of supplies,

"Its hard up here out of hunting season"

I nodded at the young man's explanation.

"It's a tough place to live I guess any time of the year."

"Yes it is but its home"

We stayed long enough for some hot soup then pressed on,

"Only one more stop to make Charlie please go on."

I finished the story by telling her about Harry and how I got her name and location.

"So one of the Quileute elders is troubled. I wondered why only his wife's name was on the letter we received. This is not good."

"So you see it wasn't the Cullens who started this but the Quileutes who wanted to get rid of the Cullens."

"It sounds a little drastic don't you think Charlie? Arranging for the death of an innocent in order to have an excuse to kill a coven of vampires with whom they had a treaty?"

"Yes, but its the truth none the less and my daughter could have been killed by the crash or by trapping her in that cave with a human hunting vampire. When that didn't happen the wolves attacked and if not for the strangers intervention both she and Garrett would have been killed. He was the one who found her bleeding to death from a wolf bite and changed her rather than see her die"

Annie looked at the driver for a moment then turned back to me,

"This stranger. The one who changed your daughter. Does he have a name?"

"I only heard his first name...Jasper."

Again the two exchanged a look and then we stopped again at another smaller collection of cabins and went through the same routine. The hot coffee was most welcome and then Annie told me we would be staying for the night,

"It's too late to start back tonight Charlie but my kinsfolk are quite happy to offer us shelter and a hot meal. Have you ever eaten seal?"

"No, not yet."

"It's very good and freshly caught."