The White Feather
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Chapter Eight
Bella wasn't afraid. She felt an affinity for these wolves. They felt like family. Like something ingrained into her very being. They had been running through the forest for an hour, bobbing and weaving between the trees. At first Jacob had led the pack, but after a while the Alpha wolf had stopped, then lowered his body to the ground, allowing Jacob to climb onto his back behind Bella. Then as if Jacob was silently communicating with the leader of the pack, the wolves shot off again, but this time in a different direction. Their pace was slower, more cautious. Jacob was sitting behind Bella. She could feel the heat from his body through the thin material of her pyjama top. He was getting so big now. His arms slipped around her waist as he held her steady. Bella's grip on the wolf's fur was slipping as she began to tire. She rested her back against Jacob and closed her eyes. He would keep her safe. He wouldn't allow her to fall. He was her protector.
The trees began to thin up ahead. The air was getting cooler now. The rain had stopped and the wind had died down. A light breeze ruffled Bella's hair as she opened her eyes. The wolves had brought them to the oldest part of the forest. The trees were thick and ancient, their roots twisted deep into the solid earth, rendering them immovable. Bella peered through the thick boles of the trees. A dense mist swirled toward her making it difficult to see. She felt Jacob's hold on her tighten, the wolves were getting restless, agitated, as if they too could sense the wrongness in the air. For the first time Bella noticed the intense silence. Other than the soft whines the wolves were making, there was no other sound. There was no birdsong; no animals roamed through the dense undergrowth creeping up the rough trunks of the trees. It was unearthly.
Bella shuddered. She didn't want to proceed further. She no longer felt like a princess riding astride her knight's charger. Jacob wasn't a warrior prince. He was a young boy, just like she was a young girl. Both of them caught in this strange mix of the supernatural laced with magic. Bella felt Jacob stir restlessly behind her. Slowly the Alpha wolf lowered his heavy body to the ground. Jacob slid off first, before holding his hand out to Bella to help her climb off the Alpha wolf's broad back. She hesitated at first. She was scared. Something lay beyond the choking mist. Something that the wolf pack wanted her and Jacob to see. But they were scared. Their heaving flanks and wide fearful eyes flicked from shadow to shadow. Bella took a deep breath and placed her hand in Jacob's. The choice was made. She couldn't let him wander off alone into the dark. She was his angel, his guiding light. They did it together or not at all.
The two children held hands as they descended through the mist and the fog. The mossy ground was soft under Bella's feet. Vines tangled in her hair, pulling at the silky strands as they hung down from the boughs above. She stifled her cries, biting on her lower lip and drawing blood. Jacob walked beside her. He refused to show his fear, but Bella could feel it. He was trying to be confident for her sake. But he didn't understand what was being asked of him. He was acting on instinct. The wolves had called him and he had answered their call. The five wolves, with the Alpha in front, stepped slowly behind them. Jacob was their leader now. He was the protector of them all. Bella once again saw him as he would be, a man embracing the wolf within. Her nerves died down and she clung to the hand of the boy he still was, the boy who was once again her warrior prince.
Finally the mist parted. Off to the right Bella could hear a gushing stream. There was life here. They had passed beyond the dead boundary and were once again surrounded by the vibrant green of the forest. Bella gazed around in wonder. The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and wet earth. There was a flash of wings. Bella saw a white bird, its plumage shining almost silver in the weak light glistening through the dense canopy of leaves above. She felt Jacob tense beside her, not understanding why, until she saw the white feather floating through the swirl of sunshine. It landed at her feet like an unwanted omen. Bella curled her fingers as she reached down to pick it up. It was a sign.
Jacob smelt death. His nostrils flared and his dark eyes widened. His skin prickled with fear. This was a dangerous place. An ancient place belonging to those who walked the earth but had long ago lost their souls, only their hardened bodies remained. They hid behind their beautiful faces when inside they were no better than demons. Jacob knew that these beings had been the same kind who had killed his mother. He shuddered, protecting his angel with his body as they stopped just within the line of trees shielding the large rectangular house in the distance. This house wasn't a castle; it was a house of death, pretending to be a house of life. It was façade. Jacob could sense it, even if he didn't understand why. The wolves had brought him here for a reason. This house was what they wanted him to see. It was connected to his future, and to his angel. This place belonged to the cold beings, the ones who haunted his nightmares.
Holding on tightly to his angel's hand he led her cautiously down the slope toward the huge mansion. With nothing shielding his view, he could see it clearly now. It was a large, graceful house, rectangular and well proportioned. The white paintwork had long since faded. The southern wall was almost entirely made of glass. Jacob held his breath. He could still smell the cold one's disgusting stench even though they had abandoned this place long ago. In the distance he could hear running water. What his angel had mistaken for a gushing stream was actually the Calawah river.
Jacob turned his focus onto his angel. She was holding the white feather in her other hand, twirling it around and around, looking thoughtful. The wolves, led by their Alpha, surrounded them protectively. Jacob paused, not wanting to go any further. But his internal instinct was pushing him onward. With trepidation he stepped forward, drawing his beautiful angel with him. Her long hair, so thick and luxuriant, shimmered red and gold in the light as it swirled around her like it had a life of its own. As they got closer they could see the neglect. The forest was beginning to claim the house again. Tall grasses swayed gently in the light breeze. The tall windows were smeared with streaks of dirt. Jacob held his breath as he let go of his angel's hand and rubbed his fingers along the glass, clearing away some of the muck.
Bella stepped close to him again and they both peered through the gap he had made. They turned to look at each other in horror. The house was full of ghosts. White sheets were draped everywhere, full of dust, looking like ancient wraiths. It was obvious this house was empty. Only the past haunted it now. Jacob began to breathe again. Capturing his angel's hand in another death grip he pulled her after him, scooting around to the side of the house. They were confronted by the steel doors of an underground garage. Jacob halted, gazing at it curiously. The Alpha wolf huffed as he came to stand beside him. Jacob watched as the huge male drifted back and forth as if searching for something. The others got in between him and his angel, parting them. Jacob felt her fingers slip out of his and he felt bereft.
"Bella Angel."
But she was shielded from his view. He began to panic and made to go toward her, but the Alpha wolf got in his path. Jacob stopped, locking gazes with the huge male. The leader pushed forward, steering Jacob toward a small side door with a broken lock. He halted, nudging Jacob with his nose, pushing, guiding him toward the door as if urging him to go inside. Jacob wanted to refuse but once again his instinct propelled him onward. He stared at the Alpha wolf, bidding him to watch over his angel. The wolf dipped his head in acquiescence. With a soft sigh Jacob went inside.
Bella saw Jacob disappear into the depths of the strange house. She tried to call his name but her throat tightened and she couldn't speak. The wolves hemmed her in, refusing to let her follow. Bella got frustrated with them as she spun this way and that in a bid to escape. Eventually she was forced to give up. She crossed her arms and glared at the Alpha wolf as the others parted and let him through. The big male stopped in front of her. He towered over Bella, making her feel small and powerless, but still she wasn't afraid. He wasn't trying to intimidate her. Far from it. His dark eyes were trained on her brown ones. Bella felt something stirring in her heart. She crushed the white feather in the palm of her hand as the veil lifted from her eyes and she saw past the wolf to the spirit he carried within.
"Hear me, young one." A deep male voice, as rich as the earth it was bound to, filled her ears. "I am Taha Aki. I am the first and I will be the last. My spirit is bound to the wolf as it has always been. I asked the Great wolf to make room in his body for my spirit, allowing me to share his physical form. The others you see are my warriors. We are ancient, young one. Our physical forms passed long ago, but our spirits remain."
Bella couldn't speak. She remained still, eyes wide, lips trembling. The power emanating from the Alpha wolf was overwhelming. The earth hummed with it. Taha Aki continued to speak and she listened, her lips moved as she began to silently recite his words, burning them into her very soul.
"One day you will remember what I have imparted to you today, young one. But not yet. Not yet." Taha Aki's voice faded. "We will always be with you. We are always here. You only have to look beyond what your eyes tell you they can see."
Bella blinked as the humming stopped. She shook her head, feeling disorientated and confused. When she focused her gaze all she could see was a wall of fur. The five wolves surrounded her in a protective huddle as they waited for Jacob to come back to them.
A/N-thanks for reading!
