The silence, a palpable entity, engulfed us, and every gaze converged upon me. They stood there, an oddity among themselves, as if engaged in silent discourse while no words escaped their lips. "It's imperative that I speak with him; a promise must be honored," the man in the wheelchair reiterated. "My grandfather departed from this life many years ago; only his spirit and blood linger on," he explained.

I struggled to comprehend his words; his scent lingered, his wolf's essence unmistakable. "Why do you speak as if he no longer exists? I sense his wolf's presence," I asserted, and suddenly, growls and heavy breaths ensued. "Enough. Cease this commotion. All non-council members must depart," the man in the wheelchair commanded. Those not part of the council began retreating to the distant land, leaving the circle and the shore.

Another man stepped forward, a speaker among them. "Why summon Ephraim? He no longer breathes our air, and a young girl like you couldn't have met him in this time. Your talk of a wolf is beyond our understanding. We won't entertain the words of a pale-skinned stranger," he stated, composed but dismissive. "I have slumbered long and seek guidance. I saved his tribe, and he swore an oath to me beneath the old willow tree, witnessed by all. Don't patronize me; I am as old as the moss beneath the forest's oldest tree. I've witnessed the great and the terrible," I declared, my words carrying the weight of history.

The young men encircled the elders, guarding them from me. A man with penetrating dark eyes, perhaps their spokesperson, stepped closer. "I am Sam Uley. Who are you, and what do you seek?" They remained oblivious to my identity, viewing me as an enigma. "Do you not recall me, the little wolf? You were fearful and angry when your spirit wolf first approached. Do you not remember my whispers?" I closed the distance, locking eyes with him. "I told you to remember who you are, to feel the earth beneath your paws and the forest air in your lungs," I continued, cupping his cheek. "Do you recall what else I said?" His intense gaze struggled to recollect a not-so-distant past. "You are safe. You are home. Welcome," he murmured almost inaudibly, perplexed and bewildered.

Confusion and uncertainty gripped the others as they grappled with my revelations. "Once again, who are you? We know nothing of you or your intentions. How do you know about the wolves?" the wheelchair-bound man interrogated. "You pose many inquiries but haven't disclosed your identity," he added, his gaze piercing. "I am Billy Black," he declared. Memories cascaded before my eyes, of a young boy wandering the forest, weaving tales of warriors and mythical creatures.

I remembered perching high in the trees, enraptured by his grand narratives, finding joy in every uttered word. "I remember you now—a boy of ten summers, nestled beneath the red alder tree, sharing tales with the trees and the birds," I recalled. Shock etched across his face. "Did they not recount stories of me in your tribe? The guardian from the forest," I announced, drawing gasps from the crowd.

I extended my hand, spirals of verdant energy flickering above my palm, forming the visage of Ephraim kneeling under a willow tree. "I am the chief of my tribe, a father, a warrior. I swear upon my honor and life that I shall forever answer your call. As long as my blood flows and my wolf roams this land, my tribe will come to your aid. When you summon, my tribe shall answer. This pledge I made under the ancient willow tree, witnessed by the forest's spirits. I, Ephraim Black of the Quileute Tribe, swear allegiance to Isabella, guardian and protector of this sacred forest," I concluded, lowering my hand. Each face in the assembly transformed, now marveled and intrigued. "I've come, hoping his vow remains steadfast, for the sake of this tribe and many others. I've come to claim that allegiance."

The previously indifferent man now wore an expression of curiosity. "There's a tale within our tribe of beings with skin as hard as stone, eyes as crimson as blood, and teeth as white as snow. It speaks of a woman who aided a child playing in the forest's embrace. She appeared from above the trees when the sun hid behind clouds, encasing the child in a sparkling shield, vanquishing the one with crimson eyes, and returning the child to the people. It tells of an entity who dwelled among us, learning our ways and teaching us the forest's secrets, its healing plants, the nuances of the air's flavors, communing with spirits, and becoming one with the wolf," he recounted, silence reigning but for the crashing waves on the shore.