Loyalty, Fearlessness and Willingness

Note: Read the ending of the last chapter, to get a better understanding of the title. Though if you do, slight spoilers.

"Aisling, would you please wipe your mouth?" Father asked sternly, as we ate breakfast. "And don not, use your sleeves this time!"

I simply rolled my eyes along with my mother, and wiped my mouth clean with a green leaf next to my plate. After that, I turn to my parents and kindly asked: "So, I was wondering, if I could go and play with my friends today. I don't have training with mother until tomorrow, so I believe I should have plenty of time."

"You can, but only for a few hours. Remember, we have summit meeting later this evening, and you most look your best when you attend," Father answered.

"*Groan* Do I have to attend?" I asked annoyed, as I remembered the upcoming summit, regarding the health of the various plants, and the growing of the fruit and vegetables. I HATED those meetings. They were so dull, tedious and boring! And yet my parents kept insisting I come along, despite my clear dislike for them.

Father's eyes narrowed as he sternly (with a hint of annoyance) answered: "Yes you do. As a member of the royal family and the heir to the throne, it is your duty, as well as ours, to attend. And on a different note, if you're going to rule one day, you need to know more about these things."

"Ugh, fine," I muttered grumpy.

"It's only for a few hours Aisling. I'm sure you'll survive it my dear. After all, I'm sure you've been through worse," Mother smiled reassuringly.

I just nodded quietly, and went back to eating my breakfast. After I was finished, I went outside and ran over to Oisin's home. I knocked on the door, and waited patiently, as a pair of footsteps, from inside the home, approached the door. The door was opened, and standing there was Oisin's mother, Caoilainn. When she saw me, she smiled, with a smile that reminded me, of Oisin, gracefully bowed to and happily greeted: "Why, good morning, Princess Aisling."

I simply rolled my eyes, and said: "Caoilainn, I have already told you a hundred times, there's no need to be formal. Just simply, call me Aisling." I then asked her: "Any way, is Oisin home, by any chance?"

As Caoilainn rose back up, her smile fading a bit, as she answered: "Actually, he went swimming, with his brothers a few minutes ago."

"Oh," I muttered disappointed, as my smile started to fade. "Well, when he does come back, could you tell him I said hi?" I requested.

Caoilainn's smile returned, as she warmly answered: "I will make sure, to do that."

"Thank you very much," I thanked her, with a warm smile, as I left. But not before, I turned and waved to her, and said: "Goodbye, Caoilainn."

"Goodbye, Aisling," Caoilainn warmly said back, as she went back outside. After that, I went to see, if Ronan and Nuala could play. I didn't have much luck, with them either. Ronan, had gone with his mother to collect fruit, and Nuala had training with her father. So I had to play on my own today. I was pretty disappointed by it. I suppose, since most of the time, I would always play with my friends, I wasn't very used to playing on my own.

Still, I'm sure I can have fun on my own. And who knows? Maybe I might find someone, to play with eventually. So I went into the forest on my own, trying to think of something interesting to do, until I had to go to that, "incredibly" boring summit meeting. As I was walking through the forest, I heard a rustling coming form a nearby bush. When I turned to the source, I saw very familiar figure, leave the bush.

"Oh, well hello there again," I chuckled happily, as the little wolf pup ran towards me. When it was within reach, I gently began to scratch his underbelly. "So, what are your mother and siblings doing?"

The pup barked gently, as I placed him back on the ground. The pup walked over, to its cave, where I saw that his family where still gently sleeping.

"Oh, they all look so adorable!" I squeaked quietly, as I looked at them. After a short while, I turned to the wolf pup, and quietly asked him: "Do you think, she would mind, if we play together for a while?"

The pup shook his head, as if to say no. I smiled, and friendly asked it: "Alright then, do you want to play tag?" The pup nodded his head, as if to say yes. "Well in the case…I'm it!"

And the little pup ran as fast as he could, as I started to chase the little thing. I decided to go at the same speed as the pup, so it would be fairer. I chased the pup through the trees, fields, hills and a few shallow ponds. However eventually as I was chasing him, I tripped on a rock and well into a pond. As I got back on my feet, I noticed that my ropes were both wet from the water, and covered in mud. I used a spell, that mother had taught me, and dried off my ropes, though they were still stained from the mud.

"Oh lords, father is going to kill me, when he sees this!" I muttered fearfully. I then remembered about the pup, and quickly turned to where I had last saw him. The pup was not there. He must have run off, while I had fallen into the pond.

"Where did he go?" I asked myself, before shrugging: "I'm sure he's around her somewhere." I started to see, where he could've run off too. I noticed a few muddy paw prints, which started at the edge of the pond, and lead somewhere to the left. "Ah ha! Now I've got you!" I quickly followed them, until they started to get less and less visible. When they had disappeared entirely, I saw that I was near a rocky cliff, and I could hear the thundering sound of a waterfall a few feet away from me. As I got close, I saw that just underneath me was an incredibly deep lake. I looked deep and wide enough, house several hundred fish. I wouldn't be out of the question, that if a poor animal fell in there, it could easily drown. The cliff next to it had a few rock ledges, which were mostly large enough, for goats to be able to climb. As I was beginning, to continue my search of the wolf pup, I suddenly hear a loud, panicked bark. I immediately turned to the source, and what I saw, froze my blood.

The poor wolf pup was dangling from a long, thin, broken branch, holding for his dear life. He must have tried, to get to the other side of the cliff, and had climbed the branch when it must have snapped, and nearly knocked the poor thing over it. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, the branch would break and the pup would drown in the lake. "Don't worry! I will be there soon enough! It's going to be alright" I called to the pup, trying to reassure him. I then ran to the edge of the ledge, and clung onto the wall of the cliff, and started crawling towards the pup.

"Almost there. I almost got you," I muttered to the pup, and myself as I crawled closer and closer. When I was, within reaching distance, I carefully reached out to grab the pup, by its scruff.

Snap!

For a brief moment, my eyes widened with fear and horror, as the branch finally snapped and the poor wolf pup, started falling down, down, down. A second later, I recovered myself and let go of the cliff, thus falling down with it. As I was getting closer and closer to the pup, I could see, that the lake was getting closer as well. I held my arms out, trying desperately to try and reach, the pup faster. Just when it seemed hopeless, I could see that, the pup was just barely at reaching distance. Without hesitating, I grabbed the pup with my left hand, and used my right hand and feet to cling to the cliff wall. My fall slowed down and down, until it finally came to a stop. As I clung onto the cliff wall, I sighed in relief, and turn to look at the wolf pup, while I heard the barley clear slaps, as the branch fell into the lake.

"Don't worry little one, you're safe now," I told it, as I gently moved my left hand, towards my shoulder. "Hold onto my shoulder, and hang on tight, until we reach a ledge. Ok?" I asked it, in a motherly tone. The wolf pup did as told, and held as tightly as he could, onto my shoulder. I started crawling up the cliff wall, all the while trying to look for a ledge. I soon saw my target, a few feet away from me to the right. I carefully crawled over to the ledge, and when I was under it, I placed my feet onto of it. However, just as I did, the ledge started to crumble! It was unstable and before I knew it, I lost my balance and fell.

I could feel, that the wolf pup started losing his grip. As we feel, I saw a large, stable ledge a few feet beneath us. I quickly reached towards the ledge, and just barley managed to grab onto it. As I held a hard grip onto it, I carefully used my left hand; to grab the pup by it's scruff and then placed it onto the ledge. Once there, I lost my grip, and started falling down a bit. As I struggled to get back up, the pup looked at me worryingly, as I struggled to climb up the ledge. "Don't worry, I will be up in a moment," I said a bit nervously, but reassuringly.

Just then, I heard a loud noise. I turned, and saw a group of kestrels flying above us. It took me moment, but I realized that they wanted the pup. Without his mother to protect him, the pup was now defenseless and vulnerable to attack. An easy target. As the kestrels dived towards the pup, I was frozen with the realization, of what was about to happen. Those kestrels were going to hurt a friend of mine. No, KILL a friend of mine. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN! I immediately tightened my grip, and started climbing up. I did not focus on anything else, but getting back up. As I reached the ledge, the kestrels started getting closer and closer. But I simply kept on climbing, never stopping for a moment. They were not going to harm, a single part of my friend!

I grabbed onto the ledge, my fingers holding a tight grip, as I pulled up the ledge. The kestrels were only a few feet away from us. They raised their talons, ready to strike at the pup. But I wasn't about, to let that happen. But I wasn't about, to let that happen! The pup might not be a Tuatha Dé Danann, but he was still a friend of mine! He was still someone I cared about (Not in a romantic way of course). He was friend! A very good friend! AND NO ONE HURTS. MY. FRIENDS!

I finally climbed onto the ledge, and I jumped towards the kestrels, and landed on all fours, right in front of the pup, and faced the kestrels. At the sight of me, the kestrels flew away in fear, as I growled loudly at them. I stood there, until I knew that they were gone. After that I calmed down, and realized something. It looked like I had grown a bit. I then noticed, that my hands and feet, felt differently than before. Even my face felt weird. Almost like how I felt when…I had unlocked an animal form!

I looked down…and saw a pair of white furred paws. I looked all over my body, and I could see, that I was covered in white fur, and had paws for feet as well as hands, and a white tail. I carefully walked over to the ledge, and looked down. I could barley see the reflection, of a white wolf looking back at me in the water.

A hundred different emotions were flooding inside me. Shock, surprise, excitement, pride and happiness. I had done it! I had unlocked, my third animal form! I was a wolf! I had all three animal forms!

However all of those thoughts were pushed aside, when I felt the wolf pup licking my check, while I was looking at the reflection. I realized, that we were still a long way, from getting back up. I could celebrate later; right now I needed to get the pup to safety. I gently used my mouth, to grab the scruff and began to climb up the cliff.

The climb has a long, and hard one, with narrow ledges and unstable ones, but I was almost at there. Just one more ledge, to go. I carefully placed my paw on it, and after a short while, climbed onto it with the pup still in my mouth. But, just as I was about to climb up, the ledge began crumbling. I thought for a moment, that both the pup, and I where doomed, when something reached out and grabbed me, by my scruff.

As I recovered, from my brief moment of shock, I simply stood still while I was gently pulled up. When the pup and I, had finally reached the surface again, I dropped the pup, and turned back into my Tuatha Dé Danann from. As I turned to see who had saved me, I was met with the sight, of a white wolfhound, a white wolf and black wolf. The pup went back to his mother, which left me alone with the white wolf and wolfhound. My parents.

"Hehehehehe…um, hi mother, father. Uh…did you know, I unlocked my third form today?" I chuckled nervously, desperately trying to change the subject. I was failing miserably.

My father turned into his real form, and marched right in front of me, with narrowed eyes. "Aisling, what in the world, were you thinking? Do you have any idea, how dangerous that was? You could have been hurt! If we had not arrived, you would surely have been limping you're way back home! At best!" he exclaimed, obviously angry with me.

"But, father I had to do something! The pup was in danger! He would have drowned, if I had not done anything! And besides I had the whole thing under control! I would have just crawled me and the pup, back onto the surface without a scratch!" I spat back at him, trying to defend himself.

"And what if you had not reacted fast enough? What if you stepped on another unstable ledge, and fallen back down again? Did you ever stop to think, that you could have been hurt in your little stunt?"

"Yes! I did! I just didn't care! My friend needed me, and I do not abandon my loved ones, no matter what might happen to me! Wouldn't you do the same?"

My father said nothing, and just stood there frozen. I could see a single tear, fall down from his check, and I instantly realized my mistake. Before I could apologize, my father grabbed me by the hand, and in a barley hearable tone said: "We'll talk about this later. For now you are going back to your room, and staying there until the summit. And I do not, want to hear a word from you, until then."

And so, we walked back home in silence. As we entered our home, I was sent right into my room, where I changed my ropes and just went to bed, deciding to wait until the summit began.

I lay there for a few minutes, until I heard the sound of a bird flying through the window, I turned and saw my mother in her dove form. I sighed a bit annoyed and asked: "What do you want mother?"

"What? Can't a mother, visit her own daughter?" She asked, in a bit of a teasing tone, as she landed on the ground and changed into her True form, and sat down right next to me. "Now how about, the two of us talk?"

I sighed again, and answered: "Sure, I suppose I need something to do, for the next few hours," I said chuckling slightly, mother chuckling a bit with me.

"All right then. Aisling, what you did was very brave and noble, and I'm sure that I would have done the same thing, if I were you. But at the same time, it was also very dangerous and risky. If something had gone wrong, both you and the pup could have been hurt," she lectured me, while trying her best not to sound rude.

"I know, I know. But by the time I had gotten help, and the made it back the pup would have already drowned. I couldn't let that happen, mother. Sometimes you have to harm yourself, to insure the safety of others." I cried defensively.

"Yes, I know. It's just we were worried about you. Especially your father," Mother informed me.

"Of course he was worried about me! It took him 4 years, before he finally allowed you to train me! He is probably worried about me, every time I go out to play!" I exclaimed in annoyance.

"That's only because he loves you! You are his daughter. He has every right to be worried about you. I admit, sometimes it goes a little too far, but he just wants you to be as safe as possible. He may not say it out loud, but he's only doing it out of love. The love of you."

I let out a sigh and confessed her: "I know, and I do love him too. It's just…sometimes his protectiveness and strictness, annoys me. Most of the time, he's telling me how to act, and what to do. I wish he could just, calm down for a few moments."

My mother placed her hand on my shoulder. I turned to face her. "I know he can be a bit strict dear, but doesn't mean to annoy you," She reminded me, as her look turned to one of sadness. "It's hard, when you lose someone you care about, especially a parent. And losing both was simply too much for Lug. He grieved for years after they died, and I don't think he's recovered even now. I don't even want to think, of how he would react if he lost us both."

I started feeling bad now. I have known about my grandparents for a long time, but every time I was reminded of it, I just felt bad. Even though I have never met them, it was still a horrible thing that happened, both to them and father. "I shouldn't have said that. Now I just feel awful, about mentioning it," I muttered sadly, referring to what I had said to father.

"Don't feel guilty. You were angry and weren't thinking. You were in not way responsible, for their deaths. Just tell your father that you are sorry. I'm certain that he will forgive. Father's will always forgive their children." mother reassured me.

I smiled. Mother always did know, how to cheer me up. "Thank you mother, I feel better now," I thanked her kindly.

"That's what parents do my dear," Mother answered, with a warm motherly smile, before giving me a small hug. After that, the two of us departed, and she gained a proud smile: "Now, on a different note. Congratulations! You've successfully unlocked all your animal forms! I'm very proud of you dear," she happily congratulated me, as she ruffled my hair.

I laughed and joyfully said: "Thank you mother. I'm very happy to hear that. So, what am I going to learn tomorrow, now that all my animal forms, are unlocked?"

"Well I was think, mist spells. I'll teach you, how to move and control mist and if you succeed, how to turn creatures and object into spirits, for a short while," my mother informed, as she rose up from my bed.

"I look forward to it," I told her smiling.

My mother smiled back, before walking towards the door. "But for now, you'll just have to wait and get ready, for the summit meeting."

I groaned in annoyance and frustration: "Really? Can't I skip it just this once?"

My mother's smile faded, and a stubborn frown to its place: "No, Aisling. What happened today changed nothing. You are going whether you like it or not."

"Ugh, fine," I muttered, as mother walked back towards the door. As she opened it, I realized I had forgot to ask her something. "Mother?"

She stopped and turned to face me. "Yes, Aisling?" She asked, curious to know what I wanted.

"Could you possibly tell father, that I'm sorry for what I said?" I asked her, a bit nervous and hurt.

Mother smiled back, and answered: "I will give him the message," before closing door, leaving me alone until the summit meeting began.

Well, I just finished what is currently my longest chapter to date. I was originally going to have Aisling's friends in this chapter, but I realized that they wouldn't really add anything to this chapter, so I left them out. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.