A/N:You guys are the best! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! This effort is so enjoyable because of you!
Many thanks to sherryola and Noble Korhedron for pre-reading. And God Bless Katmom for her eagle eye. Thanks for being there for me to bounce ideas around, and helping make this story better!
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the characters; we're only taking a side trip with them. No copyright infringement is intended.
Ch 23 – Alliance
Pandemonium burst out as the sound of Carlisle's ominous words faded. Rosalie shouted that we should leave immediately. Edward growled that it didn't matter where we went because the Volturi were going to follow until they caught us anyway. Emmett exhorted us to go kick some Volturi butt. Alice sat in her chair with her hands over her ears, shaking her head with her eyes screwed shut as she tried to make sense of the tangled future. I wanted to jump to my feet and tell them we couldn't leave the wolves to die, but at the same time, the thought of the Volturi coming to kill us kept me frozen in my seat. Jasper looked shell-shocked as the mix of charged emotions struck him all at once.
"Jasper!" Carlisle held up his hands and his clear voice cut through the din like a pistol shot. Shortly after that the agitation eased as Jasper got control of himself and brought the family back down to earth. As I watched him calm them, I felt a hint of regret for my gift; I could have used some calming myself.
"I'm sorry I got excited, since we need to talk about this rationally. We won't get anywhere fighting amongst ourselves like a pack of wolves." A wry grimace crept onto Carlisle's youthful face.
"The way I see it, we have four options." He started numbering them on one hand. "One: pack up and leave. Two: stay and do nothing. Three: stay and drive off the Volturi ourselves. Four: stay and help the wolves defend themselves. If there are any alternatives I haven't considered, I'd be happy to hear them. Now let's try to discuss this calmly." He pointed to his right at Esme, and sat down.
"We should go. We can easily start again in another place," Esme said, her eyes on Carlisle's face, wide and pleading. "We still don't have solid proof that the Volturi intend to kill us. We don't need to risk the family."
"If we leave now, we can at least have a head start," Rosalie said next, but she didn't seem convinced of it.
"Be serious," Edward interrupted. "Demetri can find us no matter where we go."
"Please, Edward, one at a time," Carlisle said.
"Didn't you say that Bella could shield four of us the first time she tried?" Rosalie surprised me and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "She must be able to cover more of us now, right? What if she masks our trail so we can get far enough away that Demetri won't be able to pick us up?
"Perhaps," muttered Eleazar. "But I think it would only buy some time. When Aro wants something, he's as patient as a spider. When you've lived a thousand years you'll see. He may not strike today. He may not strike for decades. But believe me, he won't forget."
"This doesn't need to be your fight," Carlisle addressed Eleazar. "You're our guests and I wouldn't think of exposing you to peril unnecessarily."
Eleazar acknowledged Carlisle's words with a single nod, then he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's no more than I feared. I can only speak for myself, because I know what the risk is for me. Aro is in love with power, and for him, talented vampires are power. He knows where I am now. If he's changed his mind about allowing me to leave, I can run if I wished, but to what end? One day…he'll find me." Carmen nodded at his side, her hand on his shoulder, her expression unhappy.
Jasper also nodded at Eleazar's assessment. "You know my thoughts on this. I'm sure this is part of a campaign. If the wolf killing were random, then maybe not. But it was deliberate and they knew of their existence beforehand. Why? I agree with Eleazar. They're aware of the treaty and they're waiting to see which side of the fence we fall on. If they truly came to rid the world of werewolves, they would have simply moved in and destroyed them. We'd be hearing the screams of dying werewolves right now if that was the case."
I suppressed a shudder at the mental images Jasper conjured – the Cold Woman rampaging through the Quileute village, dealing death everywhere. I doubted Jane would stop to investigate which tribesmen knew the secret and which were ignorant. What about the werewolves' imprints, or their family? Emily and Sue had been kind to me. Billy was like an uncle. We just couldn't let this happen.
"This was a feint," Jasper continued. "They're trying to draw a response from us, so they have an excuse. They've already decided to move against us, and this is all just a ruse to make it seem legitimate. If we do nothing, I wouldn't be surprised if they kill another wolf and another until we do something about it."
Kate spoke from across the table. "But are we insane? Are we really thinking of opposing the Volturi? When was the last time they lost a battle?"
Silence met her words until Eleazar spoke. "Early in their history, before Jane and Alec joined them, there were some losses. But afterward…never."
"What are we waiting for, then?" Rosalie gestured angrily from her seat. "If we stick around it's just like committing suicide!"
Finally, I couldn't keep quiet any longer. "It involves more than just us, Rosalie. If we walk away, they won't give up on us. Either all at once, or separately, they'll come for us until they get Edward or Alice. If we leave, you heard Aro. They'll kill off the wolves first and still come after us.
"All of you were around during World War II. Don't you remember what happened to the Jews? Six million innocent people were killed while the world watched. How could we stand aside and let that happen here, when we can do something about it?"
"It's easy to talk about something you've just read about in a schoolbook," Rosalie sniffed. "But those of us who lived through that time also remember what happened to the surrounding countries that stood against Nazi Germany: France, Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania and many others were all conquered. Millions of people in those countries were killed or put to work at slave labor camps. Even vampires were killed by the rain of bombs and the firestorms they started."
Rosalie pushed back some luxuriant blonde locks that had flown across her face during her impassioned words. "That's what you're asking for, Bella: for us to go to war. Think of the family. Are you willing to lose our family to a war with the Volturi?"
I looked down at my lap for a moment, momentarily embarrassed. Then the embarrassment flashed into anger that spurred me on. "No, I'm not," I said sullenly to the floor. "I'm scared to death of the idea. I'm scared to death of them coming for us." Then I raised my head and stubbornly met Rosalie's gaze. "But the wolves were there for us when Victoria tried to kill us all. Jane is planning to slaughter innocent tribesmen, as well as wolves. How can we not help them when they need us?"
Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Who cares? They're mortal! They'll die anyway, and if we fight the Volturi, so will we!"
Carlisle interrupted our exchange. "They may be mortal but that doesn't make their lives worth any less. I've said that many times." The rebuke was unmistakable.
Rosalie looked at him and dropped her gaze. Her voice grew quiet. "So we throw our lives away for them? Don't you think this might be exactly what Aro wants you to do? If you side with the wolves, you give them justification to destroy us. We'll be traitors to our own kind."
"They intend to destroy us anyway. Or capture us." Edward spoke. "Do you remember what the newborn, Bree, told me? They're going to make something up even if we don't give them a reason. Besides—" Edward placed a hand on my shoulder. "I owe them for Bella."
"If we don't stand up to them now, they'll be back," Emmett growled. "I don't like werewolves any more than you, Rose. But if we band with them now, like we did in June, at least we'll have more numbers. What were there, ten of them? Eighteen against four are better odds than eight against four. And if we can take care of these four, the rest will be less effective if they come at us later."
Rosalie looked helplessly at Emmett, shaking her head slowly back and forth. Then looking at me she said, "This is all so…unnecessary. We could have avoided all this."
Carlisle cleared his throat. "Alice? What do you think?"
Alice shook her head, her eyes wide with fright. "It's too scattered right now. Some of you have already made up your minds, and I can't see you." Her eyes flicked at Edward and me, and I realized what she meant. We had already made the decision to merge our fates with the wolf pack. "But the rest, I'm not sure—"
"What is it you see?" Carlisle asked gently.
She whispered so softly I had to focus to hear her. "I'm wearing a dark cloak. My eyes are red."
I gasped. Esme covered her cheeks with both hands, silently mouthing no. Jasper gathered Alice's trembling hands in his. "It won't happen," he said fiercely, his eyes blazing. "I won't let it."
"Maybe that's only the path you can see," Edward said, his voice soft as he tried to comfort her. "There may be other possibilities that are hidden. You once saw two paths for Bella, remember? And when we were working with the wolves in June, things were clouded for you, too."
"Maybe," Alice said, but she was still shaken. I was too; I couldn't lose her this way.
Carlisle thought for a while as he looked at Alice. His chin sat propped on one hand and occasionally he tapped the side of his face with his fingers. After a long silence, he coughed and leaned forward in his chair.
"You're my family, and over the decades, nothing has come to mean more to me. The thought of anything happening to you pains me. Many times in the past, we've had to re-locate to avoid discovery, because discovery would have brought the Volturi down on us.
"I've known Edward the longest of all of you, and between us we've only had honesty. It's not in Edward's nature to invent a tale of Aro wanting to take Alice and him back to Volterra.
"I also believe that we aren't being given a choice. Even if we stand on the sidelines and let the Guard kill as many werewolves as they want, it won't stop there. Sooner or later Aro would find another way to come at us.
"So our family is now threatened by the very organization that we thought protected our way of life. If I felt it would do any good, I would say we should pack up now, and be on our way. But something has changed in Aro, or perhaps he never showed this side to me.
"I've kept asking myself, 'why?' Why would he do such a thing? He never showed me this hunger for power when I lived with them. Maybe it was simply that I didn't have anything he desired at the time. I didn't find Edward until after I left Volterra, and Alice joined us not so long ago.
"My course is clear to me. We can run, but we would have to keep running. We have a number of residences where we can live, but sooner or later the Volturi would find them all. We would be nomads, like so many of our brethren. Would you be willing to live like that?" He looked at Rosalie as he said that. She returned his gaze uncomfortably for a moment before turning her head away.
"In my opinion, the best course is to join with the wolves. On moral grounds, it's not right to allow them to be killed. For selfish reasons, if we band together with them as we did in June, we'll have a much better chance than if we run now, and face the Volturi on our own later. We may still fail, but at least our chances at succeeding will be greater.
"To that end, I intend to offer my help to Jacob. If any of you wish to join me, I welcome you, but I won't ask you to do anything you feel is wrong for you. As much as I would hate to see any of you leave, if that's what you feel in your heart is the best course of action, that's what you should do. There'll be no regrets and no recriminations about it. Your happiness is important to me, therefore I've arranged things so you will be financially independent if necessary. It's the least…that a father can do for his children."
As Carlisle neared the end of his speech, his eyes passed over the six of us, a gentle smile on his lips. When his gaze caught me, the warmth that I felt welling up inside from the sense of love and belonging was great enough that, for once, I felt I really might be able to bear saying goodbye to my parents for good. But from the other side of my brain came a cold shot of fear at the thought of losing any one of my family, including Rosalie. Shards of ice seemed to be forming in my stomach. I could only manage a shaky smile in return.
"Do you need our help?" Tanya asked, breaking the silence in the room.
Carlisle blinked and shook his head. "I can't ask this of you. Aro doesn't know of your existence. Best of all, he doesn't know of Kate's ability, or I'm sure you wouldn't be safe either. They already know Eleazar is here with us, so that's his decision. I think perhaps it's best if you go back safely to Denali and don't attract their attention."
Tanya and Kate looked at each other, then put their heads together. Their whispers were not too soft for me to hear, but they spoke in Slovak. Eventually I saw Tanya nod. Kate and Tanya finally moved apart and Tanya spoke.
"All these centuries, we've lived in freedom." Her voice was calm and self-assured. "I keep my secret because it helps me live my life, not because someone tells me to. The Volturi have never bothered to show their faces in our mountains, and the idea that we must bow to someone, just because they say we must, irritates me."
"You don't need to ask. You're our family, too," Kate said. "We stand with you."
"I stand with Eleazar, so I stand with you," Carmen said quietly.
"Thank you, cousins," Carlisle said, simply.
Esme sighed and she placed a hand over Carlisle's, her eyes luminous. "I don't want to lose you," she said. "But if we don't have a choice in whether the Volturi come for us, at least we can choose the time when they come for us. And heaven help us when they do." She lifted her chin bravely, but the fear in her voice was heartbreaking. Carlisle put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. At this point I didn't think anything he could say would ease the enormity of our situation.
By now, Rosalie was the only one left in the room who had not thrown in for the wolves. She looked around the room quickly, hoping to find a face sympathetic to her cause but there was no one, not even Emmett. Finally she shook her head and looked down at her clasped hands. She exhaled loudly and stood up. "Heaven help us is right," she muttered as she stalked out of the dining room.
Emmett raised his shoulders helplessly and pushed his chair back. "I'll talk to her," he said dubiously. As he left to follow Rosalie, I thought it more likely that she would talk to him. On the one hand it concerned me because she would probably talk him into leaving with her, and we could use all the fighters we could get. On the other, I felt relief for them that they had a more secure future than we did.
After Emmett left the room, Carlisle opened the line on the speaker phone again. "I'm calling Jacob," he announced. "They should be awake now."
The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. "Hello?" Billy's gruff voice answered.
"Hello, Billy, it's Dr. Cullen. Is Jacob there?"
"He's still asleep," Billy answered. "They ran an extra patrol after they found Bradley."
"That's fine, what I have to say concerns you, too. We talked to the Volturi guardsmen last night."
Billy paused. "I'm listening."
"They killed Bradley intentionally," Carlisle said, almost apologetically. "They know that members of your tribe turn into werewolves. They also know that we have a treaty with you, and they've decided that your tribe knows too much about our kind."
"And that means…" Billy left the question hanging.
Carlisle's jaw muscles worked as he considered his words. "They mean to destroy your tribe," Carlisle finally answered.
Billy's silence on the line spoke volumes. "Thanks for letting me know. I think Jake will want to hear this."
"Billy, wait. We'd like to help if we can," Carlisle said. "Ten of us added to your numbers would make for better odds, don't you think?"
"That would be good of you. But would it be wise?"
"I think we can be of mutual benefit to each other. Can we meet at the boundary line to talk?"
Again, Billy thought for a moment. "You've been to my house before. Just come on by."
"Charlie sometimes comes to your house, doesn't he?" Carlisle asked cautiously. "Maybe we should meet somewhere else. As far as he knows, Bella and Edward are on the east coast."
"Hmm, good point," Billy replied. "We have a meeting place out on the cliffs. Bella should know where that is."
"I was thinking to bring some others of my family, is that all right? Jasper and Eleazar would be very helpful with tactics and intelligence," Carlisle added. "I'd be happy to re-negotiate with Jacob if you'd prefer."
"Hmm, they haven't been on our land before, have they? Yeah, you need to talk to Jake," Billy mused. "I'm okay with it but it'll need to be official. I'll go get him." There was a loud clunk as he set down the phone.
I had to say this for Billy, since Carlisle had nursed Jacob back to health, Billy had put aside his old prejudices and accepted Carlisle just like any other doctor. However, officially we still had the treaty to observe, and it certainly didn't allow for large gatherings of vampires on Quileute land.
Carlisle muted the speaker phone and spoke with us quickly. "If we go down to talk with them, I'd like Edward, Jasper, Eleazar, Bella and Kate to come with me. All right?" He glanced around the table, and received nods all around. I was a little surprised that he had included Kate and me. The boys I could understand, since they were going to talk strategy.
We heard the phone get picked up again, and when Jake spoke I felt a little sorry for him. He sounded like he had just fallen asleep when Billy woke him.
"Yeah?" he croaked.
"Sorry to wake you, Jacob, but this is serious," Carlisle began. "Did Billy tell you what we had discussed?"
"Yeah, I got most of it," Jake said, but he didn't sound fully awake yet.
"We'd like to help against Jane and Alec if we can."
"We? Who's we?" His voice was still gravelly.
"Myself and as much of my family as will come to help."
"We don't need your help." Now Jake seemed to come to life and the sneer in his voice was unmistakable. Then we heard Billy's voice in the background reminding him how easily Bradley had been killed. "Dad, shut up for a minute!" Jacob snarled, and he muffled the phone. For several minutes we heard the garbled sounds of an argument, coming as if from underwater. Suddenly the line went dead.
I looked at Edward, my brows knitted in concern. It never occurred to me that Jacob might refuse our help. And if the wolves wouldn't work with us, how would we fare against the Volturi on our own? How would the wolves manage to fend off Jane and Alec? For that matter, why was he refusing our help? I knew Jake was proud and stubborn, but he was the chief, now. He had to think of the safety the tribe.
Edward's quiet words broke through my thoughts. "Carlisle? What's plan B?"
Carlisle sighed and shook his head. "None of the options were ideal. If Jacob refuses our help, we have one less. Do we simply watch them get slaughtered? We can still run, but we'd merely delay the inevitable. Jasper? Eleazar? Any ideas?"
Eleazar pursed his lips and frowned, but didn't answer.
Jasper shrugged. "Nothing foolproof," he said. "We could attack them independently, but doing so without coordinating with the wolves would be risky. If they decide we're a threat and attack us while we're engaged with Jane, we'll be in trouble. Against the Guard, the best I've got involves getting Bella close enough to take out Jane and Alec. But against two forces, the odds would be bad."
A low growl rose from Edward at Jasper's suggestion that I act like a warhead aimed at the Volturi. I rubbed his shoulder to soothe him. "Hey, I can take care of myself, too, remember?" I whispered to him. He rolled his eyes at me but at least the growl subsided.
I heard raised voices coming from upstairs — Emmett and Rosalie were arguing. This wasn't good. Already the situation was starting to tear the family apart. Jasper might be able to keep them calm, but that wouldn't help if someone decided to leave. Not that Carlisle would keep someone against their will. He was no Aro.
Just then the phone rang. Carlisle answered the phone and put it on speaker. "Hello?"
"We'll see you at the place on the cliffs in about an hour," Jacob's voice answered. Then he abruptly hung up.
"Well, that was rude," Kate said. A frown darkened her usually calm face.
"That's Jake," I said with a sigh.
= = CR = = CR = = CR = =
We crammed the six of us into my truck and drove down to the reservation. The sky was overcast with faint hints of rain, but nothing unusual for Washington. Jasper hoped meeting during the day would keep the Volturi from attacking, since there was a greater risk of detection. Edward checked with Alice to see if we might run into Charlie down at the reservation. Unfortunately she wasn't able to see any of us clearly, so we would have to be careful.
Since we were going to be out in the daytime, I had pulled on a jacket with a hood. I also applied a dose of Kate's ointment. Billy was a tribal elder and if any other full humans were there, it wouldn't do for me to attack them while we had a council of war.
My feelings were mixed about going down to La Push. I had mostly enjoyed my visits there, but it would be the first time visiting since I'd been changed. While Jake had been fairly well behaved the last time we saw him, I never knew what kind of drama might be percolating in his head. And considering the last talk Edward and I had regarding Jacob and me, I was a little apprehensive about being around Jake where Edward could see me. I'd have to control myself better out of consideration for his feelings.
My fuzzy human memories helped me find the meeting place, not far from where the La Push kids would cliff dive. The last time I had been here had been an evening of folklore and magic at the tribal bonfire. Today's visit was unlikely to be as pleasant.
I parked the truck at the base of the trail and we climbed out into the misty afternoon. After checking that we were unobserved, we ran swiftly through the trees to the meeting place. The clearing was roughly forty-yards across, with a fire pit in the center. Jacob, Billy, Sue Clearwater, Sam, old Quil Ateara, Seth, Leah and Paul were already there waiting for us. A small pile of logs crackled heartily in the pit.
Carlisle stepped carefully to the edge of the clearing and greeted them. "Thank you for meeting with us. I know this isn't what our last agreement allows, but Billy and I felt this was an emergency situation."
Old Quil answered first. His voice was a faint and gravelly tenor, but his eyes still looked out sharply from his wizened face. "Our kind is not easily killed, even a cub like Bradley. The fact that he was—" Quil shook his head. "This is serious. We welcome your words." He opened his arms wide, inviting us into the circle. We followed Carlisle and sat down on the various rocks and driftwood logs that surrounded the fire pit.
"You're correct. This is very serious," Carlisle began. He repeated for the elders what we knew, our reasoning as to why this was not a random killing, and what we thought the Volturi intended to do. As he spoke, I watched the faces of the assembled tribe members. Jacob held his face stiff and still with hardly a change in expression, his brows drawn together and his lips set. Considering the argument he had with Billy, maybe he didn't like being overruled. Every so often I saw him glance at Edward and his eyes seemed to darken with anger.
Old Quil shook his head as he listened. Along with Billy, he was among the last to see members of the previous pack transform. But those had been peaceful years, living alongside the Cullens. Now the stories of war with the vampires were coming back to life.
Sam, though concerned about the situation, was as outwardly calm as he normally was. Sue seemed a bit more fearful to me, and sat with her brow furrowed, clutching a blanket about her shoulders. That was understandable since both of her children were in jeopardy. Billy had already heard what Carlisle reported, so had time to process. He scanned the faces of the other elders, gauging their response. Once in a while, Leah caught my eye. She seemed to divide her time between watching Jacob and me. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me observing her. Leah's hair, while cut short, didn't detract from the natural beauty of her face. Her skin was flawlessly tanned, and she had the classic Native American eyes and high cheekbones. I couldn't help thinking that if she weren't a werewolf she might make a vampire lovelier than Rosalie.
"So that's the situation as we see it," Carlisle concluded. "Since your tribe was there for us in our time of need, we felt we should be here now that you're threatened."
Jacob folded his arms across his chest, a slight sneer touching the corner of his mouth. "But it doesn't hurt that you're saving your own skins in the process."
Unaffected by the slight, Carlisle answered openly. "I'll be honest, that element did factor into my decision. But the odds are better for both of us. Twenty to four is better than eight or ten to four."
Jacob surveyed the elders. They seemed to be in agreement, with no one shaking heads. Quil had a concerned frown on his face but didn't disagree. Jake turned back to Carlisle. "All right, how do you want to work this? What can you do that we can't?"
"At the very least, we don't need to sleep. So we can keep watch and give members of your pack time to rest," Carlisle said. Quil and Billy nodded in agreement. "Edward can hear their thoughts, so should be able to provide early warning. But more than that, Bella can protect you from Alec and Jane.
"Do you remember what you felt when Bradley was killed? That incredible pain followed by the absence of any senses? That was Jane and Alec, and they're the reason why he was killed so easily. Bella isn't affected by them, and she can also shield others from their powers."
That statement drew some murmurs and expressions of surprise. Even Jacob looked at me more closely.
Paul spoke up. "Hey, we had to take care of Bella, before. She's not going to be much help if we have to protect her and us at the same time."
Eleazar gave a low chuckle. "You'll be surprised at what she can do now."
Sam ignored Paul. "This thing that Bella can do, how does it work?"
"It might be easier to understand if we show you," said Carlisle. "That's why I asked Kate to come along. Bella? Kate? Could you show Sam what we mean?"
Kate and I stood, while Sam ambled around the fire pit.
"Kate has an electroshock touch, but it works in the mind like Jane or Alec's powers. Kate, just a little bit, please. Sam? If you would take Kate's hand, please?" Carlisle waved Sam over toward Kate.
Kate held out her hand. Sam hesitantly reached for it. When they touched, his arm jerked and he pulled his hand back with a hiss.
"That's the lowest I can do," Kate declared. "Bella?"
I stepped up next to Sam and placed a hand on his bare shoulder. Like the flowing of water, I felt my field infuse his body. He winced a little at my cold hand but held his ground. Kate reached out again, but Sam hesitated. "Go ahead and touch her," I said, trying to make my voice encouraging. "It'll be all right."
Sam glanced at me before raising his hand again. This time he clasped Kate's hand and held it.
"Feel anything?" Kate asked. Sam shook his head. Kate's brows knitted together for a moment. "This is my full strength, now. If Bella wasn't blocking me, you'd be on the ground."
"You're right, I don't feel anything," Sam said, a little bemused. "Let me see…" He pulled his shoulder away from me.
"No, Sam– !" I cried out and tried to reach for him – too late.
Sam fell to the ground convulsing, lips pulled back in a grimace of pain, still gripping Kate's hand as if he were unable to release a live wire. Kate let go and he stopped shaking, but a sudden growl came from across the campfire. Paul was already in mid-phase, shaking as if he would fall apart.
"Paul! Get a grip!" Jacob yelled, but it was too late. Paul exploded into wolf form and launched himself at Kate.
Without thinking, I jumped in front of her and intercepted Paul, shoving him from the side. He was so fast he still pushed me back, and I fell to one knee, but succeeded in directing most of his energy aside. The speed of his charge was so great he flew easily into the trees surrounding the clearing, legs and tail flailing the air for balance. Luckily he didn't hit anybody, flying through the opening between the vampires and the tribe.
I leaped out of the circle to make sure Paul wouldn't endanger the people around the bonfire. I might have heard a shout behind me but I was too focused to see who it was. A crackling of leaves told me someone was beside me, and in the fractional glance I spared, saw it was Edward on one side, and Jacob in wolf form on the other.
The snarls coming from the trees announced that Paul hadn't calmed down, and he burst into the clearing again. Jacob growled and barked, but Paul ignored him and came straight for me. I crouched in preparation, but before he could get close, Edward flashed forward and tackled him and they rolled, over and over. Quickly, he worked his way to a hold around Paul's neck, and hung on doggedly while the wolf shook his head like a terrier, flinging Edward's legs back and forth. Some cloth ripped, accompanied by a shriek like nails on a chalkboard. All the while, Edward kept talking.
"Settle down, Paul. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, ease off, it's okay, now. Sam's okay, now."
Jacob began to crouch and the muscles bunched up under his russet fur. Not sure if he was going to jump in to control Paul, or gang up on Edward, I reached out and grabbed his tail.
"Jake, we gotta calm Paul down. We're supposed to be working together now, remember?"
Jacob glared back at me with lips pulled back, and he snapped at me, pulling his tail out of my grasp. But when he turned back to the struggle, a rolling snarl and a string of barks sounded from him. I needed no translation; Paul's ears went down immediately and he seemed to sag, letting Edward get his feet back under himself.
"Paul, I'm fine," Sam called out, as Kate pulled him to his feet.
Paul's eyes rolled toward Jacob, then Sam and then he closed his eyes, though his flanks still heaved with quick breathing. Edward let him go and stepped back, watching for a quick lunge, but Jacob's command held. I spared a glance at Jasper, and saw that he was focused intently on us, calming those who could be calmed. After a while Paul's breathing slowed and he opened his eyes. Still growling quietly, his hackles still raised, he shook himself, then trotted in back of the elders and sat down, his muzzle towering over the seated tribesmen.
I went quickly to Edward's side. "Are you okay?" I asked, and was rewarded by his quick smile and a nod of his head. I gave him a quick once over and saw what had ripped. "Oh! Your pants are torn!"
"It's nothing," he commented with a shrug, then pulled me gently back to the meeting.
"Well, I see what you mean. On all counts," Sam said, looking meaningfully at me.
"It's daytime!" Sue hissed at Paul over her shoulder. "We're out in the open! What if you were seen? Change back!" Sue handed him the blanket she had been wearing across her shoulders. Paul took it in his teeth and padded off into the woods, his ears and tail down, the canine picture of embarrassment. Billy threw a pair of shorts that Jacob caught in his teeth, and he also went off to change.
I took the opportunity to brush some dirt off Edward's jeans and pull aside the ripped cloth to examine his leg. Fortunately, there was no sign of damage from Paul's claws, only smooth skin under my questing fingertips.
"See? Not a problem." Edward nudged my shoulder and gave me a wink.
I gave a relieved chuckle, and scooted closer on the log so I could lean into him. Automatically his arm went around my shoulder and I wormed my way into my customary space.
Soon, Jacob and Paul returned to the meeting. "All right," said Jacob, back to business. "That's all good, but we have more than one wolf in the pack, remember? How can Bella protect all of them?"
"She can't," Eleazar said, quite plainly. "So we'll have to consider tactics fairly carefully."
"How have you been arranging your defenses?" asked Jasper.
Sam and Jacob glanced at each other. Begrudgingly, as if he were divulging secrets, Jacob spoke. "We divide into groups and patrol different areas. Bradley was running alone, so we're making sure we have running buddies."
"How many are there in each group?"
"Three or four."
"And how many groups?"
More silence.
Billy cleared his throat. "It's all right, Jake, they're working with us now."
Jake sighed. "We were running four," he said reluctantly. "We're a little odd-numbered now."
Jasper raised his eyebrows. "You had sixteen members?"
"Yeah."
Jasper gave a low whistle. "I'm sorry about Bradley. But that does give me some ideas," he said. "Our main objective is to take out Jane and Alec. If we can do that, the other two are straight fighters. Strong fighters, but they wouldn't even be light entertainment for your pack."
Paul bared his teeth at that. Back in human form, he had returned to the circle, wrapped more or less modestly in the blanket.
"Jane has to see her victim to affect them," Eleazar said. "That makes her very dangerous. But she does have limitations – she can't see everywhere."
"Exactly." Jasper bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"Nice," Edward muttered.
"What are you guys talking about?" Jacob's annoyance washed over all of us.
Jasper focused on Jacob. "I say let them come to us. If we can draw Jane into a trap where we can come at her from all sides, there's no way that she can affect us all. She can't see behind her to focus her gift."
"Would that work for Alec?" Carlisle asked.
"Hm, not in the same way. But –" Eleazar frowned as he thought. "Now that I think of it, he must be able to direct his gift. On all the missions where I saw him in action, he only affected the enemy in front of us. None of us behind him were ever touched. I can't guarantee that he can't project in all directions, but his gift moves more slowly than Jane's. So if we can get him to direct his power forward, we should also be able to hit him from behind before he can adjust. With this many, we should be able to overwhelm them with numbers.
"The thing to remember is that their powers are all in your mind. They can't actually do anything to your body," Eleazar said.
"Small comfort if their buddies rip your heart out while you can't do anything," Jacob grumbled.
"True. Alec seems to be able to control who he affects. But he's no fighter. He hasn't had to be with his advantages." Eleazar gave a thumbs down, dismissing Alec's fighting prowess.
"That's what I saw," Edward spoke up. "In the thoughts I have from them, Alec kept control of Bradley. But Felix was able to get close enough to kill him and wasn't affected."
"Therefore, we must take advantage of the speed of his gift," Eleazar continued. "Re-direct him and strike from the direction he doesn't expect."
"So here's what I'm thinking," Jasper continued. "We organize into small roving patrols between the Volturi and La Push. Keep the perimeter small and don't range too far away. If any patrol is attacked, try to retreat toward La Push, to draw them in deeper. Everybody else fold in and surround the attacked force. If the original attacked force can hold Jane and Alec's attention long enough, the flanking forces should be able to hit them from behind.
"If you see Jane first, keep to cover. If she can't see you, she shouldn't be able to affect you. Call out your location to Jacob, and head toward reinforcements. Hopefully, they'll follow and we'll be able to close in behind them."
"How, exactly, will you work with us?" Sam asked Jasper.
"We currently have ten. We could divide into patrols and add them to yours. Six or seven patrols would be better than four."
"That'd be a really good idea," Jacob scoffed.
"You don't think vampires and werewolves can run side-by-side," Edward's comment was a statement, not a question.
"We're going to be hunting vampires." Although he was the same height as Edward, he seemed to look down his nose at us as he spoke. I really didn't care for Jake when he was like this. "We use scent a lot when we hunt, and if you're running the same paths as us, your patrols will be confusing the scent. We may not be able to tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy. We might miss them if they come across, or we might hit one of your patrols. Still think that's a good idea?"
"Hmm," Jasper mused. "That's a good point. We wouldn't want any 'friendly fire' accidents." He pursed his lips for a while. "You all memorized our scents from before. Would you be able to recognize us?"
"If we have enough time, sure. But when you're out there, sometimes you need to make a decision in a hurry. When we fought the newborns with you last time, we separated. We took one group and you took another, remember?"
"Yes, I remember," Jasper muttered. "Would visual cues help?"
"How do you mean?" asked Sam.
"The Volturi tend to wear dark clothing or cloaks. If we wear something else would that help? A uniform of some kind?"
"I don't know," said Jacob with a shrug. "It's your neck."
"Hmm, maybe we'll try something else." Jasper picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt. As I looked closely at it, a rough map began to form. Gradually I recognized the peninsula where La Push was located, bounded by the Quillayute River and the Pacific Ocean. "Tell me what you think of this. When you're patrolling, you would either cross the trail of the Volturi where they come in, or see them. What if we establish a perimeter of sentries around La Push, at locations with good visibility. Your squads patrol just outside that perimeter." He poked the ground at even intervals surrounding La Push, indicating the sentries.
"This way, if the Volturi make a move after a patrol has passed, the sentries will spot them. Several roving patrols in the area will guarantee that enough forces are nearby. And if we are stationary as sentries, it will keep our scent from confusing your patrols. Edward and one of your members can help coordinate forces in case of attack."
Sam and Billy nodded in approval. Jacob didn't show any outward signs positive or negative. "What if they split up?" he asked.
"I think it most likely that the Volturi will stay together," Eleazar said. "Their power is multiplied when Jane and Alec coordinate. And, with only four, it wouldn't make sense for them to spread out to try to take on your entire pack. However," Eleazar held up a finger. "If their intent is simply killing wolves, they won't try to break through or mount an offensive. If I were them, I'd try to pick off individuals if possible."
"How about during the day?"
"It should be different during the day," Carlisle said. "The Volturi still have their rule of remaining undetected. They would be less likely to attack during the day, since more humans are out and about, and might notice the commotion of a battle. We can continue sentry duty at that point, and let your pack rest."
"So where's Bella fit into this?" Jacob half-growled.
"You've seen that Bella can shield others from mental powers. She's also immune herself. If one of the patrols is attacked, she can pull them to safety. Once out of range of Jane or Alec, the patrol can pull back and try to draw them into our trap."
"Yeah, but by the time she gets to the patrol, they might be dead already."
Jasper acknowledged that point with a nod. "If you're looking for guarantees, I'm out." He paused, with one eyebrow thoughtfully raised. "Here's another alternative. Bella can also extend her gift, and protect a small number without touching them. If she were to run with one of the patrols, she'd be right there if the patrol was attacked. But that leaves the other patrols exposed.
"I admit that none of these plans are foolproof, and they're definitely not set in stone. Let's try it this way, and see how the Volturi react. Coordination and quick response will be the key. In the beginning, err on the side of caution and retreat quickly. Once we have a chance to observe their tactics we can make further adjustments."
Jacob and Sam exchanged a long look, before Sam gave an almost imperceptible nod. Jacob stood, squared his shoulders and stepped forward, his hand outstretched. "We always seem to be working with vampires these days, not killing them."
Carlisle rose and shook Jacob's hand. He smiled bleakly. "If things work out, this will be a temporary situation. And you'll be able to kill some vampires."
"I'll shake on that."
"Good," Carlisle said as he and Jacob dropped hands. "We'll go and collect the rest of my family."
"Obviously, for us to be working together, the boundary lines don't apply anymore," Billy said.
"Thank you for your help," wheezed Old Quil. "We've not trusted each other much in the past. But I begin to think that we have more to learn from each other, than we have to fear."
Carlisle smiled. "I think Ephraim would have been surprised to hear that. But maybe he would have been pleased." Old Quil's eyes seemed to scrunch into his head as he smiled and nodded his agreement. Sue stood and helped the elderly man to his feet. Jacob moved to the back of Billy's wheelchair, and the meeting began to break up.
"Carlisle, I think you should bring some tents since we're going to be here for a while," Jasper said, and glanced at Jacob and the Quileutes. "There may be days that we need to stay out of sight, and I don't know if the tribe would care for us hiding in their homes." He drew a few chuckles and wry smiles with that comment.
"Also, I'd like to get the lay of the land. Jacob, would you mind showing me what we'll be defending?"
"I'd like to observe as well," said Eleazar.
"Sure." Jacob thought for a moment. "It'll be easier if I run as a wolf. Maybe he," Jacob jerked his thumb at Edward. "Should come to translate."
"All right," Edward agreed.
"Sorry, Paul. Are you okay taking my dad back?" Jacob, I noticed, didn't like to give commands, preferring still to ask.
Paul shrugged. "Sure, no problem." He turned his back for a second to secure the blanket around himself.
As we stood to leave, I squeezed Edward's hand and pulled his head down to me. "Will you two be okay?" I whispered into his ear.
"I think so," Edward replied. "He's still not my biggest fan. But the elders convinced him to think of the good of the tribe."
"Okay. Should I go home and pack some of your things? Maybe bring another pair of pants?"
"Um, talk to Jasper about that," Edward said with a raised eyebrow. He kissed me quickly and stepped back as Jasper addressed me.
"Bella, when you get home, there are a number of duffel bags in Alice's room. Could you bring those back please?"
"Sure," I answered, a little puzzled. "What's in them?"
"Uniforms. I thought we might need them. Some radio equipment as well."
Edward rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You really miss the army, don't you?"
"Sometimes." Jasper gave a small smile, though his eyes were serious. "There's a reason I was the youngest major in the Confederacy. Come on, Jacob's waiting."
Edward raised the back of my hand to his lips. "Hurry back," he said to me as Jasper hustled him away. At the edge of the clearing, Sam, Eleazar and Jacob waited for them. Jacob looked away quickly when I caught his eye.
Carlisle, Kate and I went back to the truck. When we were halfway back to Forks, Kate asked me if I was feeling okay. I realized then that I hadn't said a word since we left the gathering.
As I thought about it, I knew what it was; I tended to relax a bit in Edward's presence. Now, away from him, all the worries started to demand attention again, crowding around me like demons and sucking the strength out of my mind. Part of me couldn't believe I was doing this. I was getting ready to go to battle against a power that was ancient before I was born. Jane seemed to hate me for some reason, but at least she wasn't able to affect me, so that was a comforting thought.
The experience of fighting with wild animals had shown me that I was made of tougher stuff than before. The months of training and sparring had made me more comfortable with the idea of fighting, and my experience with Emmett – the biggest, baddest vampire I knew – had given me a little more confidence in my abilities. But it wasn't for real. The Volturi Guard weren't going to stop if they broke through my defenses or secured a hold. Maybe for Edward or Alice, because they wanted them alive. But not for me. I clenched my stomach against the sensation of crawling ice fingers.
"I guess I'm a little nervous," I admitted.
"We all are," said Carlisle.
"Then I'm more than a little nervous. I'm scared to death."
Kate placed a hand on my shoulder as I drove. "You've never seen war, have you?"
I shook my head, grateful that driving gave me an excuse to focus on the road. "The closest I came was when the newborns attacked us. And then I was hiding in the mountains with Edward, so I didn't really see it."
"You're capable," Kate said. "After these many months of training? You'll be fine."
"I don't know, Kate," I muttered. "I think I'm okay one-on-one. But you don't always get one-on-one in war."
"True. In this case we have five-to-one odds in our favor. We'll never survive." Kate's wry observation had me smirking in spite of myself. "You've never had military combat training either, have you?"
I shook my head again. Some kids had opted for military service after graduation, in order to pay for college. But that had never been a consideration for me. Marrying Edward and becoming immortal had sort of taken over after senior year.
"They usually train one-on-one, as you did," Kate went on. "And you also practiced with multiple opponents, remember? All you can do is prepare yourself the best you can. When the time comes, you do what your training tells you to do."
As usual, Kate's words were eminently practical. But practical didn't always help with emotional, and the fear didn't lessen much. "It's not just a matter of training that's bothering me. These guys have been doing it a lot longer than I have. And in war, things happen to people. Even the best trained soldiers get killed." I vaguely realized I was babbling as my anxiety rose. "At least now I can help and I won't just be standing helplessly on the side. But I don't think I could stand it if any of you got hurt." I gave my head a shake as my voice started to thicken up.
"Try not to be so anxious," Carlisle's soothing voice seemed to waft around my head, and Kate reached over to pat my shoulder. "You can't expect to protect everybody. As nice as that would be, it's not life. In real life, people get hurt, people die. Even in your human life, you knew that. Now that you're in our world, you know how truly precarious that existence was."
"I know. I guess it's just that I spent the last two years of my life wanting to join your family. My…I can't have my old family anymore, so I don't want to lose my new one, too."
"Bella, we can only take care of those things in our control," Kate replied. "If you allow yourself to be afraid of every outcome, you'll stand locked in place, too afraid to do anything at all. Without a doubt, the situation is serious. But should we stand and hold our necks still for the headsman's axe? I think I prefer to do what I can. If my time has come, well then at least I've done all that I can do."
"Jasper is a very good tactician, and Eleazar spent much time with the Volturi." Carlisle spoke. "You're right that there are no guarantees in war. But we have our chances. We won't give up without a fight, and who knows? We may even win."
I nodded like I understood and tried to find my resolve. The two of them made very good sense, and it was useless to borrow trouble when there was more than enough to go around. The best that I could do would be to fight for Edward; fight for my family. I thought of Jane torturing Edward, and suddenly some steel returned to my backbone. My jaw clenched and I grimaced at the thought of that bored little sadist. If I had a chance to kill her or Alec, I would take it. I felt I could deal with Jane and could do it gladly. I wasn't sure if I would be able to take on Demetri, but if any of our family survived this, they would only be safe if they couldn't be found. He would have to be the second priority after Jane and Alec. Felix? He was even bigger than Emmett. He would be strong, but if Jane or Alec were gone, he would be no match for the rest of us.
I gripped the steering wheel and my lips pressed into a thin line as I contemplated. Kate was right. I couldn't allow myself to give in to my fears, or I would be useless when the time came for action. At least this time, I wouldn't be a helpless bit of flotsam. If Edward needed me, I would go. I held on to that thought and my resolve grew stronger. The fear didn't go away completely, but at least I felt I could see my way more clearly. With a new-found sense of determination, I pressed down on the gas pedal, and we roared up the road back toward Forks.
= = CR = = CR = =
To be continued...
And so it thickens. Wolves and Cullens versus Jane and thugs? What could go wrong? Stay tuned for the next episode! :)
