All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyrighted to Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. I've taken the idea for the Unseelie Court from the TGS. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.
Note: I'm disregarding the events of the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. This story takes place two days after "Howling".
Lessons
By SN/TVfan
Email: Sam_Nary
Mansion
Rachel Winters collapsed into the bed that she had been given after arriving in London. The sun had just risen and her third night as a wolf-like creature for the month was over. For that she was glad. She found herself exhausted when she returned to her human form after spending the night in her wolf form. She hated being a werewolf. Despite Merlin and the London gargoyles insisting that she wasn't a monster, she could think of herself as anything but a monster.
She laid there for a few moments before she heard a knock on the door. Merlin poked his head in a little later, eyes closed.
"Are you decent?" Merlin asked.
Rachel looked down at the jumpsuit that she wore during the periods when she would shift to her wolf form and back again. Rachel was thankful that Merlin's promise that the clothing grew and shrunk with her when she grew or shrank was correct. The only thing she didn't want to do more then turn into a werewolf was turn back into a human without the jumpsuit on in front of a group of people.
"I'm decent yes," Rachel sighed.
Merlin's eyes finally opened and he opened the door further.
"Do you want to get some breakfast?" Merlin asked, "Arthur and Macbeth are already down there to start their day. I figured you might want to come down before all of the breakfast foods are eaten."
"Let me put on a pair of pants and a shirt first," Rachel answered, "I'm not going to go around like this when I'm not furry."
"Perfectly fine," Merlin nodded and then shut the door and headed on his way.
Rachel arrived downstairs about ten minutes later to find Merlin at work cooking something while both Arthur and Macbeth were seated and reading the paper. She glanced at both medieval kings and then at the cooking wizard. It seemed strange to the woman that Arthur Pendragon and Merlin, who was considered to be mostly myth by historians, and Macbeth, who few knew anything about other than from Shakespeare, were not only alive, but living under the same roof as her. But then, thanks to the werewolf that attacked her a month before, she would now be spending three nights as a large furry wolf creature. That fact alone made their story believable.
"Morning," Rachel sighed as she sat down at the table.
"Morning," Arthur replied.
Macbeth gave a polite nod.
"Anything specific you want with breakfast?" Merlin asked.
"Anything with bacon or ham or something," Rachel answered, almost enthusiastically.
"Right then," Merlin nodded, "Macbeth, Arthur?"
"Eggs and some toast," Arthur answered.
"The same," Macbeth added.
Merlin resumed his work while Rachel scrambled to find a section of the paper that Arthur and Macbeth weren't reading. Breakfast went along fine. They largely ate in silence. When Macbeth finished, he began his departure for the college and Arthur left shortly after for the dark room inside the mansion to develop some pictures from a recent case. Rachel was still eating. Another thing that the woman found somewhat embarrassing about being a werewolf, her appetite had increased to feed her metabolism. Merlin sat across the table slowly chewing his own food.
"I think we'll start on your training today," Merlin said slowly after a few moments.
"What training?" Rachel asked.
"To deal with your current abilities," Merlin answered, "so that way you don't get aggravated by something and transform in public."
"You're kidding," Rachel gasped, "I just went through three agonizing nights of transforming. I don't want to force myself to become... to become... that creature."
Merlin sighed. Rachel still referred to her wolf form as 'that creature' and she was taking the fact that she wasn't 'normal' anymore very hard. Of course he had no room to complain. Rachel hadn't had any contact with what Merlin considered normal before she was attacked, so he couldn't really compare himself to her. It still made him wonder how long it took Elisa and the other females in Goliath's clan to adjust to being gargoyles.
"You won't be establishing your 'trigger' and beginning to practice transforming today," Merlin sighed, "It's too close to the last full moon of the month. Trying to transform now with so little present control will exhaust you. This is mostly going to be an explanation about werewolves in general. To give you some of the basic facts, and correct some of the notions that much of folklore about weres has given you."
"It's just a 'lecture' today?" Rachel asked.
"Just a lecture," Merlin nodded, "I have a study on the second floor, if you could meet me there sometime this afternoon."
"This afternoon?" Rachel asked.
"Yes," Merlin nodded, "As you said, you've spent three nights transforming. You might want a little rest."
Elsewhere
Agent Anglo sat quietly as a scruffy looking man sat nervously eying him. Two other men holding handguns stood behind the man.
"Look, sir," the man began, "It wasn't my fault..."
"Arthur brought a gargoyle with him," Agent Anglo interrupted, expecting the man's line of thinking, "We expected Pendragon to take a gargoyle with him. You said you could deal with him."
"I meant I could take care of Arthur," the man said quickly, "I didn't say I could take care of Arthur AND a gargoyle."
"We had you run around York to distract Arthur and keep him away from London," Agent Anglo continued, "And while you did get him to go there, you failed to deal with him, and we did not authorize you to curse some innocent woman."
"Why didn't you punish me for attacking the Winters woman after I attacked her, then?" the man asked.
"Because you told us that it would help you take care of Arthur," Agent Anglo retorted, "the woman is currently living in the Mansion with Arthur."
"I'm sorry, sir," the man said in a submissive voice.
"You had better be sorry," Agent Anglo growled, "Do you know how much it cost do get you out of that hole Merlin left you in?"
The man didn't answer. Agent Anglo continued his role as the local leader.
"The Council wants Arthur Pendragon dead," Agent Anglo said firmly, "And they have begun two paths that will assure that he will end up that way. You will be one of those two paths."
"You're giving me another shot?" the man asked.
"The Council is," Agent Anglo said firmly, "And you will do exactly as I say. Do you understand me?"
"Yes sir," the man answered quickly.
Mansion
Rachel made her way through the mansion until she found Merlin's study. She found the wizard sitting a desk looking over several large books. She couldn't read what he was looking at, because she was too far away still to really see what language the books were even written in, but she could tell that they were written in style similar to an 'Old English' font.
"I'm here," Rachel announced carefully.
Merlin immediately looked up from his book and then over at a clock. He quickly put the book down and motioned for Rachel to sit down in a nearby chair.
"What were you looking at?" Rachel asked.
"Research into what various supposed 'prophets' have said will happen in the future," Merlin answered, "Trying to find out when 'Britain's Greatest Hour of Need' will occur."
"Can't you do that?" Rachel asked, knowing what they had already told her about Arthur's past and why he had sent to his enchanted sleep and why he came back.
"I know that something will threaten all of Britain," Merlin sighed, "But I can not be certain as to what it is or when it is."
Rachel sighed, deciding not to get into a discussion magic with the wizard, "Well, I'm here. Tell me more about werewolves."
Merlin nodded, "Well, okay."
The wizard then used his own magic to project the image of a being that looked very similar to a man. He stood on two legs with two very human-like feet. She did however notice some differences. The man had claws on his fingers and toes and his teeth also seemed to be rather pointed. Two wolf-like ears poked out through short and wild silvery colored hair.
"This, is Lycan," Merlin explained, "The fey who created the werewolf 'curse'."
"He doesn't look like you," Rachel commented.
"Not all fey look alike, and I'm only a halfling," Merlin answered, "His father's identity is hidden in mystery, but I do know that Luna was his mother..."
"Was?" Rachel interrupted, "Arthur said that the fey were immortal."
"Only in the sense that they do not age," Merlin explained, "They do have their own weaknesses. Iron and magic are chief among them. Now this is where some really ancient history is going to come into play."
Rachel nodded, listening patiently. As much as she didn't like being a werewolf and as strange as she thought some of Merlin, Arthur, and Macbeth's stories were, she did find them somewhat interesting for some obscure reason.
"During what is now known as the Greek Dark Ages, beginning around 1200 BC," Merlin began, "The fey race went through a massive civil war as a group of fey felt they had been cheated out of power. They divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts."
Merlin then replaced Lycan's image with that of Madoc and Oberon.
"Both Madoc and Oberon battled each other the right to rule over all the fey," Merlin continued, "Unfortunately for the mortal races at the time their war very quickly spread into their world. The gargoyle clans of Greece and Egypt were destroyed and those of the Middle East, Britain and Italy were scattered. Similar events probably occurred in other various parts of Africa, the Americas, and Asia, but I'm not certain."
Merlin then replaced the images of the leaders of the two great fey Courts with the images of several winged beings. One looked very much like the gargoyle Griff, while another looked like Octavia. One looked like a giant snake with wings. Another was a massive male that looked like a biblical demon.
"All gargoyles are by nature protectors," Merlin explained and then gestured to each image, "Be they from England, Rome, Latin America, or Scotland."
"What do gargoyles have to do with WEREWOLVES?" Rachel asked, sounding slightly impatient.
"Well, gargoyles were largely responsible for protecting the various Mycenae and Minoan cities in Greece before the First Unseelie War broke out," Merlin explained, "When these clans were destroyed, both by human conflicts going on at the same time, and by the battling fey, Greece had lost a strong part of what could be considered its own defense force."
Merlin then brought back Lycan's image.
"This is where Lycan came into play," Merlin explained, "Many of the Seelie Court, both during and after the First Unseelie War, wanted to do something to replace the lost gargoyles. Many were in favor of simply transforming enough humans into gargoyles that would secure the gargoyle gene pool in the regions that had suffered the most. Lycan argued that replacing the lost gargoyles with new gargoyles would only be problematic..."
Mt. Olympus, During the 1st Unseelie War
"My, lords," Lycan spoke to both Oberon and Zeus/Jupiter as a gathering of Seelie fey was taking place on top of the mountain, "The second race is not a viable option at this time. We need to do something else if we are to insure the Greeks have some sort of guardian."
"What else could there be?" Oberon questioned the younger fey, "Gargoyles are the second race and they are strong and can glide and see quite well at night. That gives them an advantage over humans who require sunlight or fire, merely to see where they're going."
Lycan looked quite embarrassed when he then saw Oberon's face which showed that the Seelie ruler wasn't too pleased with his comment. He looked around looking for support, but saw that Hera/Juno, Titania, the Weird Sisters, and especially his mother, and Ares/Mars looking much the same as Oberon.
"But unlike humans, my Lord," Lycan pleaded, "Gargoyles are vulnerable during the day because of their stone sleep, and your brother's forces continue to ravage Greece and other sections of the world."
"I trust you have a suitable idea for a replacement for the gargoyles, then?" Hera/Juno asked.
"Well," Lycan began, "I was thinking something along the lines of the humans..."
"The current plan is to transform humans into gargoyles," Ares/Mars pointed out, "You're now resuggesting what has already been decided in different words."
"No, not transform them into gargoyles," Lycan sighed, "Give them the ability to become somewhat like a strong type of animal that can both fight and provide for the various communities in which the chosen people live."
"Mortals with the power to shift their forms?" Titania questioned, "Interesting. And I assume this shape shifting is to be done at will?"
Lycan nodded, "That way they're not vulnerable the way gargoyles are vulnerable. They can take either their human or animal form, largely at will. This would do well since Madoc is likely to simply attack any new gargoyle clan that is created and destroy them as he's already done."
Ares/Mars was actually the first to nod.
"It might be the best solution," Ares/Mars commented, "Our war has not made life particularly easy or pleasant for many of the mortals. Gargoyle or human. The humans can at least flee from our battles when they occur during the day. The gargoyles can not."
Oberon nodded, "What strong animal do you suggest, young Lycan?"
"The wolf," Lycan answered, "They are social animals, like gargoyles and humans, and quite protective of those that they consider part of their pack. Among the humans, their 'pack' is their individual city."
"You may go ahead with you plan," Oberon said carefully, "You have my permission."
Mansion, Present
"...and Lycan then went to several of the cities in Greece whose gargoyle populations had been destroyed," Merlin continued, "And that is when he cast the spell that created the first werewolves, although, neither Titania nor the Lady of the Lake ever told me the wording of the spell."
"He created werewolves to be protectors?" Rachel asked, "Then how come that werewolf in York attacked me? And why are they the villain in almost every movie?"
Merlin's image changed to show the image of the werewolf that had attacked her and a female gargoyle wearing a tiara which pushed back her wild hair.
"Just because they were created to be protectors, doesn't mean that all of them decided to protect," Merlin sighed, "Unlike gargoyles, who seem to have a driving instinct to protect something and must define to themselves what it is they protect, werewolves were given a great deal of choice in what they would do with their lives. Many did become protectors. Some panicked like you did when you first transformed and ran off, occasionally passing their condition on to others. Some chose to use their abilities for their own personal gain."
Rachel looked on quietly.
"As for Hollywood," Merlin commented, "As Griff told you during your first full moon as a were, Hollywood largely takes small bits and pieces of legends and myths and twists them to fit a 'black and white' plot. Many people like seeing a good guy fight a bad guy, and it is common to make the human always be the good guy."
Rachel only gave an audible sigh in response.
"Well, I think that should cover the basic history and origins of werewolves," Merlin sighed, "I think I'll go over what all you are capable of doing and we'll call it a day."
"Okay," Rachel sighed.
"The ability to transform is the most obvious," Merlin began, "You have to transform on the nights of the full moon, and after training, you should be able to transform at any time you choose to."
"I'm not going to choose to," Rachel commented, "I'll deal with transforming three nights a month, but I'm not going to go and transform myself for the fun of it. I'm taking the training so that I don't transform in front of someone."
Merlin nodded, "That doesn't take away the ability. Your physical strength and endurance will increase whenever you're in your wolf form as well as the heightening of your senses."
"Am I vulnerable to silver, like in the movies?" Rachel asked, "Just curious."
"Yes," Merlin answered, "You'll want to avoid making contact with the metal. Fire can also be dangerous, but you should be able to easily recover from almost anything else, including getting shot."
"You don't mean to say that someone could shoot me and I'd survive?" Rachel asked.
"So long as the bullet wasn't made of silver, yes," Merlin answered.
"There's something new, I guess," Rachel commented, "Gwen and I don't have any real silver silverware. It's all steel."
Merlin shrugged, "Also as a side note, like any were, if you bite or scratch someone while transformed, they will become a werewolf themselves. So you will have to be careful."
"I'm going to try," Rachel answered him.
Evening
By the time the sun set, Merlin had become involved more with his talks with Arthur and Macbeth. Rachel sat at the same table, quietly eating a light dinner.
"As much as I'd like to," Merlin sighed, "We can't get rid of the Illuminati, even if they truly are the ones that are behind everything."
"I know," Arthur responded, "you've said that before. And I'm sorry if this upsets you Lady Rachel, but the werewolf that we battled in York bore the Illuminati's symbol. It seemed to me that in the end he was intending to fight us."
"That's evil," Rachel commented, "If they sent that werewolf after me to get you guys."
"There are many in the Illuminati that are that way," Macbeth answered, "They are interested in control and will do anything to maintain it."
"And you can't fight them?" Rachel asked.
"Not in the way you're thinking," Merlin sighed, "Their control is covert. The President of the United States, the Queen, and other important members of various governments aren't members, but various members of their advisors are, and those advisors are usually quite persuasive. At the same time, not everything the Illuminati does is evil as we would think of it. They're really in a sort of grey area that is hard to describe or define."
Arthur and Macbeth nodded.
"Our primary concern should still be finding out more about Britain's greatest hour of need," Merlin pointed out.
"Has your research found anything?" Arthur asked.
Merlin shook his head, "No, I'm afraid. We may need to check Xanatos's library in New York, or with other sources in other places."
"What makes you think the information we need will be there?" Macbeth asked.
"Xanatos has collected various magical artifacts and texts that might prove helpful," Merlin explained, "And you never know what 'sort' of people went throughout Britain's Empire during its hay-day. We may not find a certain answer, but we could find some clues."
It was shortly after that the gargoyles arrived in the kitchen to have their 'breakfast' before heading out on their respective jobs.
"So what's the plan for tonight?" Griff asked as he sat down with a bowl of cereal.
"I still have work to finish up work on a recent case," Arthur sighed.
"Grading school work," Macbeth added.
"Research," Merlin commented.
"I was thinking about taking a walk," Rachel commented, "Think about some of the stuff I've learned today."
Griff chuckled, "Well, I guess things will be quiet for a while now. We have our patrols and Una and Leo have the shop."
"You will stop by to help out when you're done playing hero for the night, right?" Una asked griffon-like male.
"Sure," Griff said back with a grin, "I might even be able to persuade Octavia to come with me."
There was some minor chuckling as the gargoyles traded jokes back and forth as they proceeded to join Merlin, Arthur, Macbeth, and Rachel at the table. Rachel was actually curious about something that Una had said when they first arrived.
"You have shop?" Rachel asked, "Like a business?"
Una turned back to glance at the woman. She had been largely secluding herself in her room during the past two nights because of her current condition. It saddened Una that Rachel felt so hurt by what had happened to her. She hoped that Rachel would get over everything eventually.
"Yes," Una nodded, "Leo and I run a small magic shop, selling trinkets and stuff, down in Soho. Costumers believe we are wearing masks and such to make the store 'seem' believable."
"I might have to stop by during my walk," Rachel commented, "That actually sounds kind of interesting."
"You will need to be careful on your patrols, Griff," Arthur warned, "Just to make sure no one's following you.
Elsewhere
The man that had earlier been frantically trying to defend himself against Agent Anglo sat quietly on park bench next to another man, named Jeremy Irons.
"I don't like this," the man grumbled, "I'm a warrior, not some lowly spy."
"Stop complaining," Jeremy answered back, "Our job is important. Remember, this is London. The capitol. You go around attacking Arthur while you're fuzzy, and you'll have lots of armed policemen after you, who won't give up."
"They only carry nightsticks," the man answered back, "I can handle a nightstick."
"Just remember there is a special police branch that does carry firearms," Jeremy warned, "And if you go on a rampage, the Illuminati members in those units will be given silver bullets."
That quieted the man down and he sat back against the bench. Jeremy Irons meanwhile went back to a small laptop computer that he had with him. On the screen was a display of a small room inside the Mansion in which Arthur lived. In it, Merlin was busy laboring over several old texts, getting nowhere, from what Jeremy could see.
"What are you looking at?" the man asked.
"Right now, I believe it is Arthur's advisor, Merlin," Jeremy answered.
"Why are you watching him?" the man questioned, "Anglo's orders were to follow Arthur."
"Yes," Jeremy nodded, "But Arthur is trying to find out more about 'Britain's greatest hour of need'. Except for your attack on the Winters woman, all his cases have usually involved disloyal spouses and crimes so petty that the police largely wouldn't bother with. Nothing that's going to lead him to the greatest hour of need. The key right now is Merlin."
"How so?" the man grumbled.
"Merlin knows magic and knows more about the prophesy then Arthur does," Jeremy explained, "While the Illuminati has made sure to control all the certain prophesies in relation to the greatest hour of need, that doesn't mean that that old wizard can't draw strings together from the less certain sources and that he can't find him. It's Merlin who we need to watch closely."
"And I'm being held here to watch some guy look at a computer watching another guy read a book," the man grumbled, "Anglo also wanted the Winters 'mistake' dealt with."
"In due time," Jeremy answered, "Remember, it took the Illuminati decades to fully take over the world."
Above London
Griff's patrol team glided slowly over southern London. Griff lead the way with Octavia close behind. Lancelot and Guinevere followed them. The night had been a relatively average one for them. They had caught and stopped a few muggers, but had found nothing more serious then that. Griff was also careful to make sure that no one was following them somehow or obviously spying on them.
"It is good that Miss Winters seemed to be feeling better," Octavia commented.
Griff nodded, "Yes. She does look like she's feeling better, but she's also not in her werewolf form right now. It's quite obvious that she didn't want to be a werewolf in the first place."
"Hopefully she'll get used to it then," Lancelot piped up, "Like most of the females in the Manhattan clan."
They kept gliding in silence for a few moments before Griff spoke up again.
"They might be able to help," Griff commented, "Elisa, Caroline, Candy, and Amy were all human once. They could help Rachel with the fact that she's a werewolf."
"We'd have to talk to Merlin and Rachel to make sure it would be alright to go to Manhattan or confer with Xanatos to see if it was alright if she came here," Octavia said.
"Which we'll do later," Griff nodded.
Soho
Rachel quietly walked along the darkened streets toward Una and Leo's shop. It felt good to get outside for once and get some exercise. Sitting around the mansion had seemed to bore her somewhat. Her thoughts continued to dwell on her condition. Especially the information that Merlin had given her earlier in the day.
"Werewolves as protectors," Rachel mused to herself, "Certainly goes against everything Hollywood has shown, but Merlin was right about the ability to make my own choices. I never drooled uncontrollably and I was never feeling any urge to go out and attack people. I seemed to be in control of myself. Which is good, considering that I'm now turning into something that looks like it would eat people... YUCK!"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a scream come from a nearby alley.
"Leave me alone!" a woman's voice screamed out.
Rachel rushed over to see a very large man in punk clothing trying to mug a woman. The man brandished a knife and looked set to cut her throat.
"I've got to help her," Rachel thought, "But that guy is an awfully big guy, and I'm not all that powerful physically..."
Rachel then remembered something Merlin had told her earlier in the day.
'Your physical strength and endurance will increase whenever you're in your wolf form...'
"Great," Rachel muttered to herself, "I find some massive man assaulting some woman and the only way to save her is to transform into a creature I don't like, which I'm currently unable to do outside the full moon."
Quickly looking around for something she could use as a weapon, she found a moderately sized cylindrical trash can with the lid sitting loosely on top. Grabbing the lid, Rachel began to creep up behind the man, hoping the woman wouldn't alert the man to her presence.
"Somebody help me!" the woman screamed as Rachel crept closer.
"Shut up!" the man growled back.
The man raised his knife to slash the woman with it as Rachel got closer to their position. Rachel then raised the garbage can lid and then slammed it down on the man's head. The blow succeeded in knocking the knife out of his hand, but didn't knock the man out. He turned around rubbing the back of his head.
"What the..." the man began to growl.
Rachel hit him again, this time landing a blow to its face. The man shuffled back while his intended victim began to shuffle behind Rachel. Rachel then moved forward and hit the man again. After a fourth blow from the garbage can lid, the man finally fell to the ground unconscious, and Rachel merely dropped the lid as well.
"Thank you," the woman said meekly.
Rachel turned to look at her. The woman looked somewhat dirty from being forced into the corner of an alley, but she didn't look hurt. That made Rachel breathe a sigh of relief.
"I couldn't let this creep hurt you," Rachel answered, "It was the right thing to do."
The woman nodded.
"You can call for the police, right?" Rachel asked, "I'm on a rather tight schedule, and can't stay."
The woman nodded again, "Thank you for helping me."
"I did what anyone would do," Rachel answered as she began to continue on her way to Una and Leo's shop once more.
A few minutes later Rachel entered Una and Leo's rebuilt shop. The building's exterior didn't differ much from the way it looked before it had been burned down, although Rachel didn't know this. It was the interior that really impressed Rachel. The layout and floor plan was fairly modern, but the way Una and Leo had arranged everything it seemed almost medieval. This actually made the shop's purpose, selling 'magical' and mystical objects easier. Rachel even saw one or two customers looking around. After a few moments, Una approached her.
"Hello, Miss Winters," Una greeted her, "Welcome to Into the Mystic."
"Hello, Una," Rachel replied, "This seems like quite the place. What all do you sell her besides charms and trinkets?"
"Largely books, statues, spell ingredients for those actually practice magic and for those who like to pretend to practice magic," Una answered.
"Uh-hm," Rachel nodded, looking around, "May I ask a 'gargoyle' related question?"
Una glanced around to see that the other costumers in the shop were far enough away that they wouldn't hear them, or at least wouldn't know what was said. Once she was certain, she nodded.
"Do you and Leo patrol the way Griff and the others do?" Rachel asked.
"From time to time, but because one of us still has to run the shop, were rarely patrol together," Una asked, "Why do you ask?"
"I was just barely able to stop some woman from getting mugged and possibly killed while I was on my way here," Rachel sighed.
The human woman paused for a moment before continuing.
"Earlier today, Merlin described werewolves as protectors, or at least that was the intention that they would be protectors when they were created," Rachel continued, "And while Merlin said that I can choose what I do with my... with my werewolf form, I know that if I hadn't done something, that woman would have been killed. It's made me wonder, would it be right for me to just try to accept hat's happened to me."
"You shifted?" Una asked.
"No," Rachel shook her head, "I hit the guy over the head with a garbage can lid, but I'm pretty sure my 'rescue' would have gone a lot easier if I had mastered my transformation trigger by now."
Una stood quietly while Rachel sighed.
"I don't want to be a werewolf," Rachel said plainly, "But, after what I just encountered, it have been better if I took my werewolf form, which I can only take because of the attack that I suffered a month ago. Should I accept what's happened to me in case I come across more things like this?"
"Only you can answer that question," Una answered, "Are you willing or wanting to become a protector the way gargoyles are protectors? The way Merlin described to you?"
"I don't know," Rachel sighed, "If I come across it maybe, but I don't really want to go looking for it."
"Do you want to see, hear, or learn about people being attacked or killed?" Una asked again.
"Certainly not," Rachel answered.
"Then you may have to put up with being a werewolf," Una commented, "At least to protect what you decide to hold as your protectorate. If not that, you'll have to put with the crime that exists in the world."
"And both have drawbacks," Rachel sighed.
Una nodded, "Sometimes we must decide which 'drawbacks' are bigger than others. During World War Two, many people of this island had a choice. They could choose between risking their lives or risking their freedom. Griff for example chose to risk his life to protect his freedom. Leo and I didn't believe our freedom was truly in danger and decided to try and protect our lives."
"Both of you succeeded, then," Rachel commented, "Germany, Italy, and Japan all lost the Second World War to the Allied powers."
"That doesn't take the risks that occurred during the war away though," Una pointed out, "And the end result of a war never changes the fears that occur during it. The danger that the Allies and Axis soldiers, sailors, and airmen, and Griff, and a time traveling Goliath faced was quite real at all times."
Rachel only looked down.
"Anyway," Una commented, "This isn't something you should worry about now. Wait until after you've mastered your transformations, and then worry about whether or not you will be a protector or simply innocent."
"I guess," Rachel sighted, "But it's going to be a long road."
The End...