SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Three
Tim’s Pov:
“So it begins,” the Woman sighed. She was completely disheartened by what was to happen. The Girl took her hand gently.
“Worry not, wise one. This will benefit us,” the Girl smiled at the Woman. Together, they held hands as they walked away from us and the devastation left in the wake of our failed conference.
I risked a glance at my friends. The expression of hurt and betrayal were clear on their faces. “I am sorry, my dear friend. I wish there was more I could say, more I could do,” I whispered.
“Dear Elder, this is not your doing nor is this the fault of the Goddesses. The fault is mine. Somewhere along the line, I failed my son. Now my people are paying the price.” The old Alpha sighed, pulling me into an embrace.
“The Goddesses already told me their plan. They informed me they have yet to reveal all of it to you. I’ve told my people. They are ready to bear this burden alongside me. While this is the end for me. But my dear friend, it is not goodbye. I may share one part of their plan with you at this time. I ask you to remember this always. Look forward to it,” he smiled, placing a small piece of parchment into my palm.
“Read this when Shadow’s Light is no more. Forgive me dear friend, but I feel I should spend my remaining time with my people. I wish to ease as much of their fears as possible,” he whispered. The old Alpha’s voice brimmed with emotions.
“For what it is worth, Old Alpha, we do not blame you for your son’s actions. You raised your sons to become fine alphas. And they have. The young one forged his own path; this is what all children must do at some point. All you can do as a parent is show them the path. It is up to the child to choose to walk it or forge their own,” the Girl comforted my friend.
The old Alpha kneeled before the Girl. “Thank you, Goddess, I will always honor you and appreciate the gifts you have given to me,” he praised, getting up to walk away.
I stared at the neatly folded parchment before tucking it into my pocket. “Goddess? Forgive me this, but I must ask. Will they be OK?” I ventured.
“I understand this seems like a punishment. But you must trust our plan. Trust the note when you read it. Look forward to its arrival. We have seen that moment in time. You will understand when you are meant to,” the Girl smiled sweetly. Much to my surprise, she pulled me into a motherly hug.
“When are we to disperse the pack, goddess?” I replied. The Girl contemplated my words for a moment. “Tomorrow, give them one last night together in unity. To be a rogue is a hard life,” she sighed before taking her leave.
The pain which filled my chest was too much for me to bear. Needing an escape, I walked through the pack lands and took in their splendour which would soon be no more.
Time passed faster than I ever thought possible. “Timothy, it is time,” mother called. Heart broken I walked with the other Elders to the pack’s beautiful meeting area. Grief clung heavily in the brisk night air.
Friends cried and embraced while families with small children held them close one last time. For none knew what the next few moments would bring. Some even took spots close to the tree line, hoping to break free from the herd and survive just that little longer.
We, too, wore equally sombre expressions, reflecting the night’s mood. No one wanted this. Rage towards the brat flooded my mind. All I wanted was to hunt him down and tear his throat out.
“Easy Timothy. Your thoughts betray you; I need you to follow through. Show these poor wolves’ strength for what we have asked them to do.” My mother’s sweet voice quelled my rage as her words drifted through my mind.
“Of course, mother, I am sorry,” I smiled wearily at her. Time slowed to a crawl as I turned to face the pack that I loved, as if it was my own. The enormity of the task at hand clouded my senses for a moment.
I searched deep into my soul for the right words to say. Above all else, I needed to ease their fears. Although I did not know or understand their plan, I needed to trust the Goddesses would guide me. I glanced over at them, awaiting their approval.
“I wish to thank all of you for attending this meeting. Please understand this is not a simple thing for the Council to do. You are in luck as you know more of the Goddesses plans for your pack at the moment, then we do,” I started. The shocked gasps erupting from the crowd forced me to pause. I held my hands up, hoping to regain the situation, so it didn’t deteriorate in to all out panic and fear.
“In every pack and every wolf’s life, the path becomes muddied. We must persevere and follow the path that the Goddesses have asked us to walk, no matter how difficult it may seem. Trust their love, trust their guidance. They will never abandon you, even in your rogue form. As your former Alpha reminded me earlier, while this is the end for you, it is not goodbye. I do not know when, but by your strength, I shall see it again. And when that day comes, it will be stronger and better. Its people reunited with our goddesses,” I proclaimed. The cheers were deafening, and they took me by utter surprise. One would expect tears from losing their pack.
“Now, for the painful part. I have always loved you all as if I, myself, were from this pack. With the permission of the Goddesses, I dissolve your pack. I cut your link to not only us, but to one another. I strip you young Alpha Martins, of not only your title, but of your rank as well. You and those who follow are now out-cast as rogues, banned from ever joining another pack. This is your punishment for the failure of stopping the formation of Silverlight. You and your descendants will remain out-cast until such a time Silverlight is no more or until the Goddesses see fit.” With my arms outstretched, I yelled these words into the night sky.
My eyes fell on to the full moon looming overhead with all of its splendor and beauty. Unable to tear my eyes away, I held them to its cool warmth. The breaking of the connection of Shadow’s Light from the council echoed in my mind. The painful wailing of each of its members dominated the crisp night air. They screamed in pain at the loss of their connection from one another.
The sound of the bodies of its members hitting the cold ground replaced their pain-filled wailing. Exhausted from their pain, one by one they passed out. Only when nothing but silence was to be heard for several moments was I able to pry my eyes from the symbol of my mother.
I glanced around at the unconscious wolves quivering in pain as they lost their gifts and strength. My heart crumbled at the sight of them. “I appreciate this was hard for you, Timothy. But trust me when I say your pain was only but a drop in a well. It was nothing compared to what we just endured,” the Woman whispered.
Heartbroken, she wiped a tear from her eye. I bowed in acknowledgement of her pain. Although I was incapable of feeling what it was she and the girl were going through at this very moment, I still struggled with my guilt.
A bright flash of light shattered the now dark garden. “Goddesses, you called me?” Gretchen, the head of the coven, asked, bowing. “Yes, I did,” the Girl called out coldly. The Girl’s sharp silver eyes, locked on those that lay on the ground all around her.
“Hide these lands. Ensure no one can see or find anything that is here. Let it look like an unappealing clearing. Let it leave an ominous impression on the heart of anyone who stumbles upon it. Make the spell last until we see fit to have it removed,” the Girl demanded, her voice filled with rage.
“Goddess, I’ve learned no such spells,” Gretchen cried in disbelief. “I gave you the power to do such a thing, Gretchen, now do it,” the Girl hissed.
Gretchen sighed in defeat as she pondered how to complete the task. “Don’t think, perhaps allow the Goddesses to flow through you, instead of relying on your own powers?” I suggested. The Girl grinned wickedly. “Smart boy.”
Gretchen let out a harsh exhale before she collected herself. “Goddesses, hear me, lend me your power,” she cried. The air swirled around the lands. Power filled the night air as my skin felt as if I was about to be struck by lightning. Gretchen closed her eyes as she continued to channel the powers taking control of her.
“Lands here my call, absorb the pain of the wolves that once called you home. Night sky, cover these structures with your cloak, until the Goddesses demand that you reveal them. Let no heart find peace or comfort here, let their hearts only find terror until the Goddesses say otherwise,” she commanded.
Clouds filled the sky, choking out any light the moon was giving off. They seem to take on a life of their own as something thick and dark descended from the sky, swallowing the packs’ dwellings whole. An unearthly heaviness choked out the air.
Even through the darkness, I witnessed the members of Shadow’s Light rising off the ground. Whatever this darkness was, it plunged into the packs chest’s and ripped their pain out of their souls. Disembodied screams fill the air, chilling my soul to its core.
As suddenly as it started, it was over. The skies cleared, and the moon seemed to shine just a little brighter. The lands that once belonged to the Shadow’s Light pack no longer seemed welcoming. They felt as if they hated any life which dared to stand upon them.
Much to my relief, the people who littered the ground seemed to rest easy, as if they had just simply fallen asleep. I walked over to my old friend. The remorse for what I did crept back into my heart.
“Goodbye old friend, you will see me in your next life,” I whispered, allowing some tears to escape. I glanced at Gretchen, who fell to her knees before she slumped over, panting.
“Well done,” I insisted. I no longer recognized the land that I loved. She peered at me sideways, her face drained of all its colour. Her once onyx hair was now as white as a fresh snowfall, her eyes were now a silverish blue.
The Girl with a smile on her face, appeared next to Gretchen, pulling her up. “Hail to the first High Priestess of the Moon. May all those that worship us know of her, and revere her,” the Woman preached as millions of fireflies and Luna moths filled the air, scattering in all directions.
“So ends the Shadow’s Light pack. May its destruction serve as a warning to all those that would oppose the will of our Goddesses,” Gerald grumbled. “By the will of the Goddesses, it is done,” my brothers replied. A small shock wave reverberated from the land, letting all were-kind realize we’ve revoked a pack of its status. Its members were now rogues.
Mother knelt next to one of the new rogues, lifting it into her embrace. To my surprise, she kissed the forehead of the rogue. A symbol of my mother’s language appeared where her lips once were before it sank back into the skin. Mother took notice of my questioning gaze before facing me.
“I am giving them their last instructions. I will stay and watch over them until morning’s light and they wake, starting their new lives. Now you all must go. There’s lots to do and little time before Silverlight is upon the Amazons,” she smiled weakly and returned to her work.
“Hands,” Gretchen demanded with what strength she could muster. We did what she instructed, and all joined hands. Her eyes glowed a brilliant shade of silver before she transported us all back to our home and our hard beds. “Sleep well,” mother’s voice echoed. “The beginning of the end will start before you know it.”
Curious, I took the parchment the old Alpha gave to me from my pocket. The only thing he wrote on it was a name. A name I didn’t recognize, Justus Ayer.