AN: A short chapter for today :) S. Meyer owns twilight

CHAPTER 8

Charlie POV – Iceland with Aro, Picia, Fred, Briggita and Brenna

I just finished talking to Theresa, Bella had already called her. I was glad. I'd called Caius before I spoke to my mentor in Texas, Chelsea was going to visit Jake in a couple of weeks when I could be there as well. Em and Rose were making a mixture to boost Jake's immunity, energy and a connection to the spirit world. This would help him recover when Chelsea weakened the bond between Jake and his imprint, Chelsea would bring Em and Rosie with her when she visited.

Losing and imprint was dangerous to the health of the spirit wolf. I'd seen Billy wither when his imprint was killed. Oona had taught me how to make the tea to keep Billy healthy. He could still connect with his wolf side, but his body no longer transformed. He had only phased once and it was in that attack his spine had been damaged. With his imprint murdered by a cold one he never fully recovered.

Billy no longer needed the tea, but Oona made sure I knew how to make it and a few other rare remedies. Hopefully, Jake wouldn't need much assistance. Theresa told me about her experience with the broken imprint bond and the effect it had on our species. She had been there for the last Spirit Walker who's imprint needed severing, it had happened decades ago, but her memory recalled everything. I never considered how old Theresa was, she looked to be in her late twenties, then again so did I. Clearly our bond to the supernatural kept us young. I knew Oona was in her early eighties when she passed, but she had a weaker connection to the spirits and her craft lay in herbalism. I wondered how her spirit was faring with her descendants.

We were in a hotel in the small village of Holmavik. It had been an amazing drive from Reykavik Airport. We were in a remote part of the island on an arm reaching out to the west. This area had a reputation for hauntings, the nearby Glacier was known for magic. This wasn't where Aro grew up, but it was close to it. This part of the island was a haven for the supernatural. I could feel my connection to the ancestors hum. It was so peaceful here, I felt like I was recharging my batteries. Sulpicia giggled at me "Healer, you look like you've been meditating with War." I glanced at my reflection in the window, my pupils were dilated. I shrugged "this place is amazing. I can feel the energy, the land is alive. I can feel the lava underneath us, it's still growing. The plants and animals are weaker here than where I used to live, but the land nourishes them. It's a strong feeling."

Aro smiled "this island is my home. I look forward to taking you to where I grew up, I hope you feel the same connection there as you do here." I hummed in agreement, losing myself in the power around us.

"We'll have to bring the Spirit Walkers here" Aro said lightly, smiling. I couldn't agree more. "Definitely, I feel like a cat in a sunbeam." I said. I turned to Brenna "do you feel the energy too?" I asked my imprint. "It doesn't feel as strong as it does for you, but this place has a lot of energy. I can feel it around us." She said.

I sat up and turn to Aro and Picia. "This place is important, would I be able to make a home here?" I asked. I loved the States and the castle in Volterra had become a second home, but this place was a Manse. I could work directly with the werewolves and keep in touch with Volterra easier than if I moved back to Texas. Brenna smiled widely. "I'd love that. This was my home a long time ago, I'd love to live here again." She said. "I'm glad you enjoy our homeland, Charlie. This place would make an excellent base of operations for you. What about your family?" Aro asked, I would never abandon Bella or the others, but this was a small world and we could travel when we wanted to. "I'll think about it and ask them all." I conceded.

There was a knock on the door, Fred came in with his mate, Brigitta. "We've contacted Feykir, they're expecting us." He said cheerfully. Feykir was the pack master for Iceland, he and his pack had a crevasse in the glacier of Drangajokull, they used it for ceremonial gatherings and their transformations during the full moon. Fred had told me how there were gates made from Rowan wood to keep them contained during the full moon.

Picia put on the kettle and I arranged some tea for her and Aro, it would lessen their scent and make it easier to be among the wolves. Picia took out a few bottles of vodka I'd infused with the Chequer tree fruit and herbs. It was similar to the beer I'd given to Fred and his pack.

We headed out to the car, we were driving to Drangajokull. The scenery stunned me, so barren and vital at the same time. There was one major highway, it traveled around the entire island. The hum of energy lessened as we drove south east and the human population increased. We passed by small towns and headed North West, into another arm of the island. The energy picked up again, I felt stronger, more powerful than ever. For the first time I truly felt disconnected to the human world

Fred parked the car. "We need to hike for a bit." He announced. I was glad, I wanted to feel the energy flow through me, uninhibited by the car or manmade obstructions. "It's a bit cold, are you warm enough, Healer?" Fred asked. I nodded my head "I'm very comfortable. I know it's cold, but I don't feel it."

We walked for a few miles. The energy kept me warm, if I hadn't seen the surroundings I would have thought I was walking along a tropical path. The ice crunched with each step we took, echoing around us. Fred was guiding us, making sure we didn't fall through cracks and thinner ice. There was nothing for miles around, but instead of feeling isolated I felt calm. No wonder Aro had stayed in a remote Russian inlet for centuries, if his inlet was anything like this it would have been a sanctuary.

Fred stopped, I saw bundles of sticks concealed near the entrance of a crack in the ice. It would be hidden from human sight, but I could see them clearly. Fred stilled and stared at me, Brenna turned to me and froze. "What's wrong?" I asked, Aro and Picia turned to see what the wolves were looking at. "You're glowing." Aro gaped. I looked down at my hands, they were illuminated like they were when I healed someone.

I paused and closed my eyes, had I turned on my power subconsciously? No. Brenna touched my cheek. "How do you feel?" She asked. I shrugged, "I feel good, I think the energy of this place is supercharging me."
"Your eyes are glowing too, their normal brown has changed to silver. It's really strange." Picia said. Aro nodded and said "I think you're right about the energy, I doubt it's a bad thing. Let's keep going and meet with Feykir."

Fred disappeared down the crevasse. There was a ladder made from white stone and chains. Brenna and I followed him down, climbing the ladder to the bottom. I glowed brighter with each step. I was beginning to worry. "It's a good thing, Healer." Brenna said to me. "This place is compatible with your power, it amplifies it. You'll be able to achieve a lot here." She said, trying to ease my nerves.

"Have you seen anything like this before?" I asked her, she nodded. Fred answered, "The mage who sealed our pack from the human world glowed like you did. His mother was from the mainland and was a human nomad."
"Like a Gypsy?" I asked. Fred replied, "Yes, she joined the settlement and taught her son everything. That son stayed on the mainland for a long time, travelling with his mother's people and picking up their magic. He returned to Iceland four years after Eir and Thegnmarr were turned. He was sent home to protect us. They had similar powers to you, Healer, but they were clairvoyant and had a celestial connection like the witches in Volterra."

We waited for Aro and Picia to climb the ladder. When they saw we'd reached the bottom they stepped over the ledge and fell down to us, landing lightly. Aro chuckled at Fred's surprise. "If I had done that my shins would have splinted." Fred grumbled.

He led us down a passage that had been carved into the ice. Brigitta was by his side. Brenna and I were directly behind them with Aro and Picia behind us. Fred turned his head to me "usually we have to use a torch, I've never been able to see our surrounds so clearly, Healer." He joked. I had to admit it was handy being a walking light bulb.

The ice glinted around us, white and blue glowing ethereally from my light. There was an opening ahead, shielded by a gate made from sticks of rowan. Fred howled and the gate slid open. "You may take off your mask if you wish, Charlie. You're safe here." Fred said. I pulled back my hood and removed my mask. Aro and Sulpicia removed their red contact lenses.

The wolves were packed in a large room carved into the ice. There were battery operated lamps lining the hall. At least fifty wolves faced us, I recognized a few from Fred's pack. They appeared to have a uniform; dark leather sleeveless tunic and pants. There were patterns pressed into the leather around the neck. Each wolf had a branding scar, a crescent moon on their upper arm, a couple of inches long.

One wolf stood alone at the front of the group. He was tall, at least 6'2" with long blond hair and pale green eyes. His leather was black, there were swirls and knotted patterns all over his tunic. He walked up to me, squinting slightly. "I'm Feykir, leader to the Icelandic Pack. Welcome, Healer." His voice was heavily accented, he shook my hand. "Please, call me Charlie when we're safe." I smiled.

He turned to Aro and Picia. "It's good to see you again Eir, Picia. Fred mentioned the Romanians have been punished and destroyed." He said. Aro stepped forward "it's true. We have defeated them. They suffered greatly before they died. I can show you if you wish?" Aro offered. Feykir grinned "I would love to see that, but perhaps you can show one of our brothers, Gras. He is able to project thoughts to everyone in the room. We would all love to see their punishment." He said.

Aro nodded and smiled "it would be a pleasure." A short man with black hair and light blue eyes walked forward and bowed. Aro offered his hand and soon the images of the Romanians fluttered through my mind. I saw the dungeon where they received the darkness, Stefan and Vladimir's bodies writhed as an image of me released the darkness, I'd never seen this perspective of myself when I used my power, it was an odd thing to witness. The images of Stefan and Vladimir kept running through my mind, they crumbled as Fred trapped them in time.

The images stopped and a cheer went up in the hall. Feykir smiled "we commend your power, Charlie. You have all acted to bring the Romanian's to justice. We thank you and welcome you to our pack." He turned to Aro "I can see you have healed from your time with the Romanians. You look strong again, may I ask why your eyes are golden?"
"With Charlie's assistance we have converted to animal blood. He has been able to enrich it so we do not weaken and we are able to extinguish our thirst. We have also made progress in creating synthetic blood. With the Healers help we will be able to stop hunting completely." Aro said.

Feykir chuckled "I had thought you a mad man for your optimism. I'm thankful to be proven wrong." Aro smirked "many thought I was a mad man, it was how I carried myself. By dropping the mask I have given people a reason to trust Charlie. We have a while to go until I can guarantee your safety, but we can make a start. We're here to help set up a government and laws between our species. Our allies are in contact with the Spirit Walkers, the fighting is over for now. This is a time for diplomacy."

Feykir turned serious. "You have our allegiance, Eir. We knew you from before and have witnessed the man you have become. You, Thegnmarr and Caius have fought for us and human kind. We are alive today thanks to your efforts."

Feykir turned to me "Charlie, Fred tells us you have created a remedy to connect us to our humanity during the full moon." I nodded and explained how I'd put together the ingredients. Sulpicia handed him a bottle of vodka. He opened it and sniffed "it doesn't smell terrible, like the rowan does. Are you sure it'll work?"
"Not entirely. We won't know for sure until the full moon." I said. He nodded, "it's more hope than we had yesterday. Knowing that you've worked to help us is appreciated. We have had positive experiences with European witches in the past, and we welcome your assistance as people of similar species."

Feykir led us to a bench along the south wall. It was stone bench, carved ornately out of black stone. Moss grew on it, cushioning us. The formal meeting started. We spoke at length about our plans for the future. Feykir updated us on their lives; a few of the wolves had started a business, forging an alliance with a coven of witches who had settled on the island. "They're near here, they live in the town of Bildudalur. A few of them work for the oil company, they've managed to get many of us jobs. They understand our need for time off each month and have been able to work out a schedule."

"Have they been able to help you with the effect of the full moon?" I asked. Feykir shook his head "they tried, but had no luck. They grow Rowan and help us stay isolated from the human world when we're dangerous. We tried a few remedies, but they didn't work. They made a liquor from Rowan berries, it made us sick. No matter how they cooked or treated the berries we ended up with bad stomach cramps." He said. Fred nodded and said "we also became ill after the Rowan remedy." I felt guilty. Fred continued "the Chequer fruit hasn't made us ill. Hopefully it's the ingredient we need to tame our wolf."
"I'm so sorry." I said to Fred and the pack. He waved his hand "don't worry, Charlie. We'll try anything to fit in with the world."

Feykir smiled and gulped down a few shots of vodka. He passed the bottle around, each wolf drinking a few big mouthfuls. I was glad I had made up so many, we had ten bottles on hand, it looked like we'd need all of them. I wondered if the wolves got drunk.