Thanks to my wonderful beta Another for his insights in this chapter.
Chapter 2: Maktub
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Garou Village
Deep Within the Forbidden Forest
1530 A.D.
"My sweet child, what are you dreaming of? You are smiling…," the woman whispered lovingly to the small boy in her arms. She giggled when her baby reached up with his little hands and, still sleeping, grabbed a strand of her fiery red hair.
Caressing the side of his face with her finger, she kept on speaking in hush whispers, "Are you dreaming of running through the forest? Chasing rabbits and birds and butterflies?"
A beautiful wolf, his fur the color of silver, appeared in the entrance to her hut. The animal was holding three dead rabbits in his jaws as he slowly stepped inside.
He stopped walking when his amber eyes chanced upon the woman and her child.
She was sitting on the straw bed in the far corner of the hut, naked from the waist up, her legs crossed under her. Her beautiful red hair reached her waist, with a single braid tied with a leather string adorning her already breathtaking beauty. Her skin was pale, and she had a fading scar on her left shoulder that, instead of marring her beauty, only increased it.
And those beautiful viridian eyes…he could spend hours staring into those enchanting eyes.
She was holding her baby in one arm, while she used the other one to caress the side of her child's face. Smiling down at her baby, the female continued her one-sided conversation, unaware she was being observed, "Are you dreaming of your future, Lupa? Of the one that will make you feel as happy, as loved, and as saved as your father makes me feel? Your Lupa's out there, my son…and you two will soon be together."
A loud thud informed the woman that she was no longer alone with her child. She looked at the entrance to her hut to find the silver wolf looking at her, the meal lying on the ground in front of him like an offering to a deity.
She positively beamed.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked him. The wolf lowered his head and slowly walked toward her. When the wolf reached her side, she reached with her hand and cupped the wolf's face.
What was once a wolf transformed into a man, his body lean and muscled and glistening with sweat, light-skinned, his raven black hair sticking up in playful wisps, and his now hazel eyes full of love.
"Long enough," he mumbled, his voice a feral growl as he nuzzled her hand. He walked closer to her, still moving with incredible gracefulness in all fours, and nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses up her collarbone. He finally found her lips, capturing them in a kiss full of passion and tenderness.
When they broke apart, the man turned his attention to the baby in her arms. "How's my child?" he asked softly, lowering his head and nuzzling the child's face. Still asleep, the baby stirred and moved his hand up, catching a chunk of his father's hair on his small hand and tugging at it.
"He's been a handful. He's going to be quite the troublemaker when he grows older," the woman said with a smile as she looked at her baby. "Just like his father," she added, turning her attention back to her loving mate with a bright smile. He was about to kiss her one more time when a child's voice interrupted them.
"Elder Lily?" the child called, hesitating slightly. Lily and her husband looked toward the entrance to find little Charlie, a seven year old cub whose father was also a member of the tribe's Elder council, standing a few feet away from them.
"What is it, Charlie?" Lily asked, frowning slightly. As the village's Praeceptor, she worked very closely with the young children, and she knew Charlie well. Although Charlie's father was strict and demanding, the young cub was a natural leader. It was a strange sight to see him acting so nervous.
"Elder Remus asked me to come get you. He requests your presence in the Hall of Spirits," Charlie spoke softly, not quite meeting their eyes.
"Thank you, Charlie," Lily said curtly, bowing her head slightly. Charlie bowed back and left. Lily looked back at her husband, the tribe's elite warrior and a personal friend of their Alpha, Remus.
"Do you have any idea what this is about, James?" Lily asked, her frown deepening. The tribe's meetings were usually held on the nights where a Holy Ahuron was celebrated. But tonight was a night like any other, when most of them were out hunting for food, patrolling the forest or engaged in family affairs.
James had the same look of concern his wife possessed. "No idea, love. But you better go now," he said, gently taking the sleeping baby from her arms and holding him against his body.
"I'll be back soon," Lily whispered, planting a kiss in the back of her child's head. Rising on tiptoe, she gently kissed James' lips before walking out of the hut and toward the Hall of Spirits.
Turning his attention back to his child, James smiled.
"Looks like it's just you and me, my dear Harry."
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As Lily walked toward the Hall of Spirits, she noticed that there was an unusual silence in the air that night. Her sharpened hearing could not even detect the chirping of the crickets, or the croaking of toads, or the wind as it flew through the leaves. It filled her with unexpected dread, goose bumps running down her back. She had been so happy with Harry in her home that she had not realized how truly eerie tonight was.
On the way to the meeting place, Lily encountered her old friend Arthur. Like herself, Arthur was an elder, in charge of affairs with other garou villages, and even with some of the muggles that knew of their existence. He was also the proud father of four cubs, among them a bright-eyed happy redhead boy by the name of Ronald, who was just a few months older than her Harry.
"Salve, Arthur. Do you know why Remus has called this meeting?" Lily asked Arthur, falling into step next to him.
The older man shook his head hesitantly, saying, "Salve, Lily…I'm…I'm not sure."
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"Molly told me today that Alice had a seizure this afternoon, and that she had been very agitated, and had begged Molly to call her brother for her. Remus walked into Alice's hut, and when he came out, he called the meeting," Arthur elaborated, sounding rather nervous himself.
Lily chewed her lip anxiously as they continued walking in silence. Alice was Remus' twin sister, and was the village's shaman and spiritual leader. She had fallen ill after giving birth to her only child, Neville, on the same night Lily had brought Harry into this world. She hardly left her home, and the village's women took turns to take care of her, her husband Frank, and her young child. What could have gotten her in such a ruddy state was beyond Lily.
They reached the Hall of Spirits, which was nothing but a perfectly circular clearing on the outskirts of the village's territory, with a burning pyre in the center of the clearing. Two werewolves in full crinos form were standing by the entrance, guarding that only elders and those who had been called entered the holy ground. The guards bowed to the elders respectfully, and Arthur and Lily finally stepped inside the circle.
The other 10 elders were already assembled, and were sitting around the clearing, some in human form, some in werewolf form, and others somewhere in between. Among them was Frank, the village's doctor and Alice's mate, and Severus, the Philodox, in charge of the warriors among them, including her husband James.
To Lily's surprise, Alice was also in the clearing. She looked pale, thin, and small, with large black circles under her eyes and trembling hands. She was sitting to the right of her twin brother and pack's Alpha, Remus. His eyes, which usually had a happy glint to them, were troubled, and the mouth that usually beamed with a smile was set hard, with no trace of amusement in his handsome face.
Arthur took the space next to Frank, while Lily sat in her place next to Severus, and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, Remus took a deep breath and finally looked up.
"My brothers and sisters, I have dire news to share with you," Remus spoke, "This afternoon, my sister had a vision. What she saw confirmed that a prophecy made 500 years ago had been fulfilled."
"Lily, are you familiar with the prophecies of Albus Dumbledore?" Remus asked, turning his attention to Lily. Lily, as the village historian, teacher and storyteller, nodded. Albus Dumbledore was a celebrated human of many talents: he was an alchemist, a painter, an architect, a poet, and inventor…and a prophet.
"I've read some of them, yes," Lily replied curtly, trying to bring back to memory what she had once read about him. The truth was that Lily had never believed in prophecies; she thought that our destiny was determined by the choices we made, and didn't believe that there were things that were preordained.
"Are you familiar with the prophecy of the Accursed one?" Remus pressed. Lily nodded, wondering the reason why Remus was asking her these things. Remus was a highly educated werewolf, a lover of knowledge as much as he loved the night. She would think that he knew more about this obscure prophecy than she did.
"This is the prophecy that speaks of a child that will be born with the power to bring forth what Albus called The Forbidden Race…and which others call the Children of the Kindred," Lily replied. A murmur arose amongst the council members.
Kindred, known to other creatures as vampires or nosferatu, were the werewolves' natural enemy, servants of the Wyrm, the spirits of the dark that opposed Gaia, the spirit of the Earth and the werewolves' spiritual guide. A constant war has been raged between the two species for as long as they could remember, and since the accession of the new vampire Prince, the werewolves were on the losing side.
"She's been born. I've seen her," Alice whispered in a trembling voice, looking down at the ground in front of her. But her feverish voice had carried, and she now held the attention of the assembly. Slowly, Alice raised her eyes from the ground and looked at her fellows, trying to push back from her mind the dread she had been feeling since she received her vision from Gaia.
"By the white mountains of the east, she has been born from the womb of a menschlich. She's just a child…a very small child with a rose-shaped birthmark in her hand…," Alice continued in a whisper, fighting the tremors that ran through her frail body.
"But this is a prophecy made by a HUMAN," Severus sneered, "How can you trust them to be speaking the truth? Gaia would never-"
"I SAW HER!" Alice interrupted with uncharacteristic fierceness. She tried to stand up, but her brother gently placed his hand on her shoulder in a request for her to save her energy.
Severus sneered at Alice, but said nothing. Lily knew why Severus refused to believe it could be true; he had trouble believing other creatures were as worthy to Gaia as the garou were, and he despised humans almost as much as he hated the kindred. Thankfully, most of the werewolves had evolved pass this rotten belief.
"I felt what awaits her…the pain…the suffering…a life of destruction…of heartache…she's cursed," Alice whispered hoarsely, her voice trembling with emotion.
Arthur spoke next, his voice grave, "If Gaia has chosen Alice to reveal this…is because she wants us to do something about this child."
"But what can we do?" Frank asked softly, rubbing his temple with his fingers as if he were trying to push all the confusion out of the way and have a clear answer. Lily stole a glance at Remus, and her breath caught in her throat. She now understood the reason why Remus's eyes were filled with such sadness. Lily was about to beg for them to stop and consider the possibility that the prophecy might be wrong when Severus spoke out loud.
"There's only one thing we can do…the girl needs to be destroyed…before is too late," Severus words ringed in her ears. Lily gasped, not only because of the proposition she knew was coming, but because most of the council members were nodding in agreement. She hurriedly stood up from her spot and looked around.
"No…you don't understand…the…the prophecy says the girl has two paths ahead of her…she may bring the Forbidden Race, but she may also…she may also…I don't know what's going to happen to this girl! And no one else here knows for sure either! Not even Albus knew! He could have been wrong for Gaia's sake!" Lily said, looking around for support. Alice nodded weakly before buying her head in her hands.
"Lily's right. We don't know for sure…," Remus said, taking a step toward her, looking up and locking those eyes full of sadness with hers. They heard someone sigh audibly, and turned toward the sound, only to find Arthur looking at them with anguish in his eyes.
"I think there's something you two are forgetting…if Alice knows…then surely, Narcissa knows," Arthur said, lowering his head in shame. Narcissa was the vampire Prince's right-hand woman, a powerful vampire witch with white hair that not only looked like a ghost…she possessed the heart of one. Her name was whispered with more fear than even the Dark Prince's name.
"And if Narcissa knows, Prince Sirius knows…and he won't hesitate in looking for her…and fulfilling the prophecy," Severus added sternly. Again, panic arose in Lily when she saw most of the assembly was agreeing with Severus' words.
Prince Sirius had that affect on people. Cold, ruthless and deadly, Sirius was the substance nightmares were made of. More werewolves and fairies had died under his rule on the last five years than in the last 500 years under other vampire rulers combined. He seemed to be hell bent in drowning the world in the blood of his enemies…and the prophecy would certainly give him the means to do just that.
Nevertheless, the thought that her fellow garou were even considering going after the girl filled Lily's heart with terror. "You can't be serious! This is a CHILD we are talking about!" she said fiercely. Turning her attention to Arthur, she hissed, "Your wife bore you a cub not too long ago, Arthur. Tell me, if this so called prophecy involved your child, will you be willing to sacrifice Ronald so easily?"
Arthur closed his eyes and lowered his head shamefully, but didn't say anything to back her up. She looked around at the assembly, and realized she was not getting through to them. Lily couldn't understand why! They were soldiers for Gaia, guardians of the Earth…but murderers?
Lily looked over her shoulder and her eyes fell on her best friend. She could read those eyes like she could read her husband's. The sadness in those eyes was unmistakable, and could only be attributed to one reason.
"Don't do this, Remus," Lily spoke, turning around and slowly walking toward her best friend and pack leader, "You are not a parent, but I know you love your nephew Neville the way I love my Harry. If Neville was the child this oracle was speaking about…would you hunt him down? Would you use your claw to slice his throat? Would you let his blood flow until he was no more?" There was no mistaking the tears that were glistening in Remus' eyes.
"Beautiful words, praeceptor, but they have no weight in what we are discussing. The truth is that this child, if she fell into the hands of the Dark Prince, will bring forth children that could destroy everything we garou stand for. Would you be willing to let Gaia be stained with our blood? Humans? Fairies? Elves?" Severus said in a slow, calculating voice
"We don't know that, Severus! Since you chose to believe in the oracle's words, let me make something clear to you. The prophecy states that there are TWO paths in front of this girl…and we just don't know if one of those paths leads to salvation!" Lily replied forcefully. Severus stood up, a growl deep within his chest, and she knew he would not hesitate to transform into his werewolf form and attack her.
But a voice stopped the altercation before it ever began.
"I'm afraid Severus might be right," the voice said somewhere in between a growl and a whisper. Both Lily and Remus looked toward the spot to Frank's left, which was occupied by non other than Alastor, the pack's previous Alpha. Alastor was a man of few words, and when he spoke, people listened. Even Alice raised her head from her hands and paid close attention to the wise elder.
"It hurts me to think of doing such a thing to a child… but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one. If no outcome is clear, then it is better if we tip the scales to our favor…before it's too late…before Sirius himself finds her and fulfills the prophecy," Alastor said softly. When he saw both Lily and Alice about to protest, Alastor raised his hand, effectively silencing them both.
"I know you two are mothers of young cubs yourselves, and that it pains you to even consider the possibility of being responsible for this child's life. But think about this…if we don't act now, thousands could lose their lives! Are you willing to risk this?" Alastor continued in a maddeningly patient tone. Alice lowered her head, but Lily returned his gaze with intensity.
"I refuse to be responsible for ending one innocent life, Alastor…. This girl has a choice! She may well choose to be a servant of Gaia…who knows? Maybe she's the key to ending this war with the kindred once and for all!" Lily whispered fiercely.
"It is not your choice to make, Lily. I think a vote is in order," Severus said, looking around at the other council members. Lily did not understand. Vote? What vote? Remus was the Alpha…what to do about the girl was his choice and his choice alone.
Reading the confusion in her eyes, Remus whispered, "I told the elders before you came that I couldn't make the decision on my own. I can't think with my head on this, Lily. This is too…too painful for me."
Lily's hand fell on Remus' arm, her nails digging slightly into his skin. Green met gray as Lily whispered, "Don't do this, my friend. Sometimes thinking with your heart is the only way to go." Remus opened his mouth to reply, but another voice broke the silence.
"All in favor of destroying the cursed being, raise your hand," Severus said in a booming voice, raising his own hand. Slowly but surely, more hands followed: Amos, Karkarov, Ludo, Susan, Arthur, Alastor, and Rita.
There was no need to ask who were in opposition to that action…the majority had already won. Frank crawled toward his wife and hugged her to his body as Alice started sobbing against his chest. Lily remained silent and still, her eyes on Remus' profile.
Remus gulped audibly, and took a deep breath before speaking, "The council has spoken…Lily, please call James into the circle." He refused to meet her eyes; he couldn't bear to see the disappointment in them.
"Remus, you are our Alpha. What you say is our law! Stop this madness!" Lily hissed, digging her nails into his skin hard enough to draw blood. She was trying to wake him up, to open his eyes and force him to understand the horror he had just agreed to inflict upon an innocent.
"It is out of my hands, love. Call your mate into the circle," Remus said, still refusing to meet her eyes. Weak from defeat, Lily finally released her grip on him. Turning her back on him, she walked to the edge of the circle and looked up into the moon. Tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, Lily howled. It was a deep howl, full of anguish and heartache, and intended for just one man.
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James's ears perked up at the sound of the familiar howl. It was Lily's call, reserved for him and him alone. He was being called into the Hall of Spirits. Why? What was going on down there?
He looked down at the form of his sleeping child. James had placed Harry a few minutes ago in the small feather bed that was his crib. The child was still sleeping, a small smile tugging at the corners of his delicate lips. James kissed the messy mop of hair that belonged to his son, and slowly stood up.
Tiptoeing out of the hut, James looked around the village. James spotted little Charlie playing around the campfire with a few of his friends. "Charlie!" James called. The boy immediately looked up and smiled broadly; it was no secret that James was Charlie's hero, something that annoyed Severus greatly. When James waved at Charlie to come to him, the boy didn't hesitate to leave his playmates and run toward the older wolf.
"I need to go and see Lily. Can you keep an eye on Harry for me? I'll be back as soon as I can," James said, bowing slightly so he could see Charlie eye to eye. The younger boy beamed, happy that a warrior like James would trust him with something so important.
"I'll guard him with my life," Charlie said, clenching his right hand into a fist and hitting his chest in traditional warrior protocol. James hid the smile that Charlie's innocence provoked in him, setting for ruffling the redhead's hair.
In the next instant, James transformed into a silver wolf and ran down the village and toward the sacred clearing. He slowed into a walk when he was 20 feet away from the sacred grounds. The warriors that guarded the entrance to the Hall of Spirits nodded respectfully at James and parted, allowing the wolf to enter the place that non-elders could only enter by invitation.
As soon as he stepped into the clearing, he noticed the electricity in the air. His lupa was standing close to him, but didn't look at him when he walked past her. James did not miss the tears in her cheeks and the look of anguish in her face. Whatever the reason he had been called into the council, James knew Lily didn't agree. His heart ached; he desired nothing else than to hold her in his arms and console her. But he had been called here not as Lily's mate, but as the village's warrior, and he had no choice but to wait and see.
He slowly walked into the middle of the clearing and stood in front of his Alpha and friend, Remus. Remus was almost a mirror image of his beloved Lily. He refused to meet James' eyes, instead focusing on the ground. His gray eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and James could have sworn his best friend had aged 10 years since the last time he saw him.
James slowly shifted into the form of a man, kneeling in front of his Alpha with one fist pressed against the moist ground in warrior protocol. It was humbling position, but James didn't mind one bit. Remus was a good man with an honest heart, and if anyone deserved respect, it was him. "James," Remus said softly as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, his voice so strained it sounded like the voice of another man.
James stood up slowly next to Remus, keeping his head bowed. He had to be careful to follow protocol in front of the other elders, particularly Severus, for fear that his friend will be accused of favoring James above them.
"The council has a mission for you, my dear friend. You are to travel to the menschlich village by the foot of the white mountains of the East…and you are to find a child, no older than four moons, with a rose-shaped birthmark in her right hand," Remus said softly, pausing at the end with a sigh. James looked at Remus' face out of the corner of his eyes; there was a struggle behind those gray eyes that James had never seen before.
A heavy silence followed, and James could only frown. He was confused by the obvious distress his friend was in. In a respectful voice, he said, "Alpha, once I find this child. What do I do?"
"Kill her…," Severus answered before Remus could. Forgetting all sense of protocol, James looked sharply over his shoulder at Severus. Most of the members of the council were looking down at the ground, but Severus was calmly returning his gaze, his arms crossed over his thin chest. Before James could ask if they were playing a joke on him, Remus found his voice.
"He's right. The council has decided this child is to be eliminated. She presents a threat to Gaia and her children. She needs to be sacrificed to ensure the safety of all that is sacred," Remus said, sounding as if he were speaking to himself rather than to James.
James was horrified as the pieces of the puzzle came together. The strange request certainly explained his lupa's emotional state, and the evident sorrow in the Alpha's eyes. But James couldn't do this! He was a warrior! He killed those whose evil deeds threatened his pack, but to kill an innocent child? His thoughts immediately shifted to the smiling face of his baby boy and tears threatened to come down his cheeks.
"You can't ask this of me, my friend," James whispered pleadingly, putting his hand in the spot where Lily's hand had been moments before. Remus met his friend's gaze, and with a heavy heart shook his head.
"Are you refusing a direct order from the council, James?" James heard Severus sneer. He looked over his shoulder and could not mistake the twisted smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. James knew he wasn't one of Severus favorite people, and he knew that it was killing him that, when the time came to retire, it will be James the one who will take Severus place in the council. But he had never even considered that the elder might take pleasure in watching James' suffer.
"And if I am?" James said defiantly, turning around and facing his chief.
Severus took several steps toward James, the anger making him tremble slightly, and whispered menacingly, "Then you know the consequences. You will be bound…you will be punished…and you will be taken from your family until you learn to respect this council."
James looked over Severus' shoulder at Lily. She had turned around and was now looking at him with pleading eyes, her hands in front of her heart in silent prayer. They both knew just how atrocious Severus' idea of punishment was, and they both knew that the elder would not hesitate in submitting James to it. And yet, James would gladly suffer physical torture to save this girl.
But there was only one thing he couldn't stand the thought of…
…Being taken away from his beloved lupa and son.
"What will it be, James? Should I call the other warriors and have them drag you away?" Severus hissed, taking another step toward James until he was less than a foot away.
Looking back at his adored Lily one more time, James had his answer.
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I apologize for taking so long in writing this, and I promise I'll do my best to post the next chapter sooner. Some points to clarify:
Arthur and Molly only have four children: Bill, Fred & George, and Ron.
Charlie is Arthur's nephew, the child of Arthur's sister Guinevere and Severus.
Alice is Remus' twin sister. Therefore, Neville is his nephew.
Kindred = Nosferatu = Vampire.
The werewolf language is a combination of Latin, German, Arabic and Spanish. Words introduced are:
Menschlich = human
Praeceptor = teacher
Salve = greeting.
Lupa = wife/soul mate.
Philodox = Judge
Maktub = "It is written"
The Elder council consists of 12 respectable garou, among them: Remus (Alpha), Lily, Severus, Arthur, Frank, Alice, Alastor "Mad Eye", Amos, Susan, Karkarof, Ludo, and Rita.
Would love to know what you think!
Peace,
Anasazi
PS. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I know this may get slightly confusing, but I'll do my best to answer all your questions (without giving anything away, of course!).
PPS: Brownie points to whoever can say where the line "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or the one" comes from!
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