Chapter Seventy Four
Bella
As we approached the silent figures our party fanned out to mirror the guardians, Jasper in the centre opposite the smaller figure who turned out to be an elderly woman and Peter and Garrett at the outer wings with Charlotte and Darius. I stood beside Darius while Eleazer flanked Jasper looking a little uncomfortable with his position, after all he wasn't a warrior and this was a very vulnerable position. All eyes were on the woman who took a step forward mirrored again by Jasper.
"Major Whitlock?"
"Yes."
"I am Annie, the senior of the Guardian Elders and it is me you need to convince that war is not the only way forward."
Jaspers eyes glided over the figures fanned out to her sides stopping eventually on a young man who looked slightly out of place among the huge fighters.
"I think we both want the same thing, peace."
"Really? From your actions I doubt that Major, we understand that the Quileutes were wiped out by your race without warning. Men, women, and children. That sounds like a declaration of war to me. I agreed to meet with you before we heard about the slaughter or believe me we would not be speaking now. What do you have to say?"
I listened as Jasper explained to her exactly what had happened with Charlie, Tanya, and the Changeling which resulted in the death of the Quileute elders but his eyes strayed more and more to the younger man who was listening intently. As I looked I noticed his eyes were fixed on me and it made me nervous. Darius moved a little closer,
"Don't worry Bella I'll look after you."
I nodded but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the young man and a hand strayed up to the necklace at my throat, my fingers clasping the tooth making me feel safer somehow. His eyes went from my face to my hand and back and he nodded as if I had just confirmed something to him.
Jasper
When I saw the younger man's attention taken by Bella I knew I was right so when I finished explaining what had happened I addressed him directly,
"Shall we talk face to face rather than through an intermediary? No offence intended Ma'am."
He nodded and came forward as the woman moved to stand at his side,
"So you recognised me Major Whitlock."
"A warrior should always be able to recognise his adversary. You have heard the truth of the matter, do you still feel that it is worth so many deaths?"
"I think you should have asked that question of those who destroyed a tribe without warning."
"I accept that was wrong but I can't bring your people back, nor will starting a war. There has to be a middle way."
"Why isn't your leader here? No Aro, Caius, or Marcus? Don't they take the threat of war seriously?"
"They would rather watch from the background until they know how the land lies."
He laughed bitterly,
"A diplomatic answer Major and those who killed our people?"
Stuart strode from the trees and stood a little apart from everyone although I got the impression that his appearance wasn't a surprise to anyone except me!
"That would be me as my associate decided to take the cowards way out."
"Really? And you are?"
"Stuart, with the Volturi, but not of them. I represent only myself. I have no excuse to give you, I need none, we are enemies and that's what enemies do, kill each other. Tell me that you wouldn't have done the same under similar circumstances."
"We have lived under truce for many years without a problem so what occurred to break that truce? It was your doing, your leaders sent a Changeling to our lands."
"Wrong, it wasn't your land. She never set foot on the Quileute Reservation. The wolf pack came to the Swan house and killed one of ours, one who had done nothing wrong but fall in love with a human. If that was a crime its one that we would have acted on, not you."
Jasper
Well so far Stuart had spoken only the truth and I could see it affected the way the guardian leader thought.
"So I hear, and I agree that was wrong but it did not deserve the repercussions meted out by you."
"True, I didn't act because of that, Charlie Swan the human did. He killed the Quileute elders and a wolf before they overpowered and ripped him to pieces. An eye for an eye for an eye I think."
"Then why did you act? If the wolves had only meted out justice."
"Its my job. I watch, I see an opportunity to act to reduce our enemies and I take it. The wolves had also killed the Changeling who was Edward Cullen's mate. Not only that but also injured various members of the Cullen family doing so. Did you expect that he would leave things? Would you have done so? I don't think so. I went along with him, alone he would have been destroyed before he could act. So, again an eye for an eye."
"You place a very high price on a single vampire life Stuart."
"True but that's our nature and you can't blame us for that any more than you can blame yourselves for your nature."
Bella
I could see Jasper waiting to see how the guardian leader would answer that but instead of replying to Stuart he turned to Jazz again,
" I see you brought your mate with you. I'd like to speak with her."
"Bella"
Jasper turned to look at me and held out his hand so I moved to his side fascinated by the handsome young man standing so close, close enough to attack if things went wrong.
"Bella Swan. I understand it was your father who killed our kinsmen,"
"He avenged the death of his mate and died doing it."
"So you say. What about you? Are you happy to stand with beings who kill humans? Have you no loyalty to your own kind?"
"I'm loyal to my mate, isn't that the most important thing? Are you going to listen or have you already made up your own mind about what happened?"
"I came here with an open mind but it seems to me that the trouble was started by you."
His words startled me,
"Me?"
"If not for you none of us would be here, you were the one who fell in love with the vampire."
"I fell in love with a good man who just happens to be a vampire and it wasn't his choice to become one any more than it was your choice to become a wolf or a bear or whatever it is you become. All I know is that none of the vampires here started the trouble and none deserve to die for it. Your people killed my father and his mate who was innocent of any wrong doing, your people killed the Changeling almost killing more innocents in the process, vampires yes but no danger to you. None of the vampires did these things, even the vampire who was the Changeling harmed no one, what could she do? The Changelings were created many centuries ago by both sides when the vampires threatened the world, your world, and you became guardians to save your own. Since then you've both learned all there is to know about each other or one or the other would have been victorious. She was no threat to you and did you even try to find out if she was working for the Volturi or merely still working at a task that was no longer useful or necessary? No, you struck first, the first blow, in the wrong place and please don't tell me that you are the great saviours of the humans because I know you are only interested in protecting your own. The rest of the humans can take their chances. The Cullens and the Denalis have always kept the treaty and away from your lands haven't they?"
"Yes that's true, until very recently, but I don't think even you would condone the wholesale slaughter of an entire tribe Bella Swan. Even though you seem to think so poorly of us."
"I don't but I do understand the feelings behind it, at least in Edwards mind. He lost the woman he loved, torn apart by the wolf pack. Would you have acted any differently? Could you have stopped at one vampire or would you, as Edward did, find your nature take over? Don't place yourselves on a pedestal because you don't deserve to be up there any more than the vampires do. They are the ones who suffered at your hands. Doesn't that concern you? That your people broke the treaty first not them? I think you should be apologising to them not declaring war and I don't think poorly of you, I just think you see yourselves as more noble than you really are."
I didn't know if I'd helped or just made things a lot worse but I thought the things I had said needed to be heard, by both sides, mine and the guardians. I stood waiting, feeling the shock and tension from my own side and watching the opposition closely, if there were the slightest movement I thought might be a danger to my mate I would put myself between him and it. I would do no less than my father had done for the one he loved. Jasper looked at me and I saw such devotion and pride in his eyes I wanted to stay at his side but I heard a command from behind me,
"Bella step back"