Where does it all go?" I muttered. "Seriously. That has to defy a law of physics somewhere."
We were all sitting around a giant bonfire, and I was watching Paula spit yet another hotdog. I'd long since lost track of how many I'd seen her shovel down, and she wasn't the only one—all the wolves had consumed way more meat than should have been physically possible, given their weight and size.
Paula noticed me watching her with a kind of horrified fascination as she pulled the dog off into a bun and slathered on a liberal amount of ketchup and mustard.
"You got a problem, punk?" she demanded. "Huh?"
"Hey," Jules called. She was sitting on the ground in front of me, her back against my knees, carefully cooking a hotdog of her own to perfection. "If you cool it over there, I'll give you mine. It would be a nice to have one that isn't half charcoal, don't you think?"
Paula glanced down at the blackened skin of her own. "I like them that way," she said defensively.
"Sure you do." Jules shot a grin over her shoulder at me.
I watched the fire crackle, slowly burning lower and lower into the sand. A small gust of wind suddenly ignited a bright puff of orange which burned brightly against the black sky—I blinked, and realized I hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. Hanging out with Jules and the rest of the werewolves, the time had just seemed to fly by.
In all honesty, I'd been a bit worried about how the others would react to seeing me again. The last time I'd really hung with the werewolves had been before the vampires had come back. I figured they must see me as a traitor now, and I was half picturing a big wolf fight like the one I'd seen on the road once a long time ago. I was queasy at the thought—the last thing I wanted was to screw up what was supposed to a time to relax and have fun.
But when Jules and I had gone out to the clifftop, where a cluster of them were at work on an already impressive blaze, everyone seemed to be in a light, festive mood. Emma had waved at me, while Quil had jokingly told me that she still hadn't forgiven me for figuring out the secret first and conveniently forgetting to tell her. Only Paula told me to make sure to keep the bloodsucker stench downwind, though even she said it in a teasing tone. Elliot even gave me a thumbs-up as Jules and I sat down.
It had felt a little strange, but nice—almost as if I'd gone back in time. I was part of the wolf crowd again.
Bonnie and Quil's grandmother Quilla were also there. Quilla had a particular ancient look about her, with her silver white hair and deeply lined face, her dark skin folded and weathered as tree bark. Saul Clearwater and his two children, Lee and Sarah, were there, too. I knew Holly Clearwater had been on the council before she had passed away and from the way Bonnie and Quilla spoke to Saul, it seemed he had taken Holly's place. Apparently that meant Sarah and Lee were also now in on the secret.
My eyes went briefly to Lee, sitting with his legs folded, staring into the flickering flames with an unfathomable expression in his eyes. He'd really bulked up since the last time I'd seen him, and shot up what looked like at least a foot. Maybe he'd been putting in some time at the gym, or maybe he was just hitting that age. He looked like he could benchpress two hundred pounds without breaking a sweat.
I shook my head, and wondered what he must be thinking now, now that he knew the secret that had driven a wedge between him and Sam, and turned her feelings toward Elliot. Now that he knew, would he feel he had a chance to win her back? Or would he even want to—knowing the truth of what she was?
Sarah had sat down next to Jules and she looked content just to be there, included. With her cheerful smile, she reminded me a little of a younger Jules, before her change.
I wondered if Sarah would be joining the pack, too. Maybe that was the real reason she and her older brother had been allowed in on the secret. However, the thought of little cheerful Sarah turning into a wolf and going to fight vampires made me shudder, so I decided to do my best not to think about it.
I tilted my head back to gaze up at the velvet night sky and sighed. "It's getting late," I commented.
Jules, having given her last hotdog to Paula, had gotten up to sit beside me on the rock. She rolled her eyes. "Not that late. Besides, you have to at least stay for the stories. This is actually a council meeting, you know. I told you parts of the legends kind of second hand, but it's better all together, trust me. This is going to be Quil, Sarah, and Lee's first time hearing them, too—well, hearing them and knowing they're real."
I had to admit, my interest was piqued. "You mean, like the stories of the..." I glanced around the circle, and my voice dropped. "...cold ones?"
Jules nodded. "Yeah. They're the histories we all always thought were legends, of how we came to be. But, the cold one stories don't come until later. First is the story of..." She paused, then smiled. "Well, guess you'll find out."
I looked around and noticed everyone had gone quiet. Everyone was sitting a little straighter than usual, and all eyes were turned toward the council members. Bonnie sat in the middle, with Saul on one side, and old Quilla on the other. However, I blinked and I realized that Sam was sitting on the far side of them, sitting up in the same rigid posture, facing the same direction, and I suddenly realized she was part of the council, too.
The fire crackled, sending another explosion of sparks glittering up against the night.
Bonnie began, and her voice was unusually deep, almost majestic. "The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still—but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. Now it is the magic of shape-shifting, but before, it was a different magic. Before we were shape-shifters, we were spirit warriors."
There was perfect silence around the circle, but for the crackling of the fire. Elliot was leaning forward, elbows on knees, looking intent, while Sarah's eyes were round with eager anticipation. Lee's eyes were closed and he seemed to be concentrating on all of Bonnie's words.
"In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor, and became skilled builders and fisherman. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. Other, larger tribes coveted our land, and they moved against us. We were forced to take to our ships to flee them.
"Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that come before hers. We do not remember how our people came to possess this power, or the knowledge of how to use it. But Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chieftess in our history, and it was in this crisis that she first used the magic to defend our land.
"Now, all the women of the tribe possessed the power of the spirit. They could leave their bodies and travel great distances, while animals could see them and understand them. Always, the women had used this power to aid the men in hunting and fishing. At that time, the woman the most skilled at using this power was Kaheleha, the wife of the Ya'kil, the chief of the tribe.
"Ya'kil was a gentle, peaceful man, who did not wish to fight and risk bloodshed of his people. Once they had fled, he did not intend to return to the rich harbor that had been their home.
"Seeing that her husband intended to do nothing, Kaheleha went to see him in his tent to speak to him.
"'We must not give up our lands to these barbarians,' she said. 'Shall we forever run from harbor to harbor, as rabbits from a fox? If all the lands where we know we may find food are taken from us, how shall we even last through this next winter? Please, my dear husband, allow us to go. Our spirits can travel far, and we can stir up the animals against our enemies, and send howling winds through their camps to terrify them. We will reclaim what is ours.'
"The chief, though troubled and fearful, granted her bold request. And so, all the men stood watch over the women's bodies as their spirits journeyed back to the harbor, their home which had been stolen from them.
"In spirit form, the women could not touch the enemy, nor could they be touched, but instead sent screaming winds through the harbor. The invading tribe also kept packs of large, thick-furred dogs used to pull sleds in the frozen north, and the women turned the dogs on their masters, and they brought up a great infestation of bats from the cliff caverns. There was a great battle, but the men were confused and terrified. The survivors scattered, calling the harbor a cursed place. The women returned to their bodies and their tribe, triumphant, and took back their stolen land.
"The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, came to us to make treaties, wanting nothing to do with our magic. And Chief Ya'kil named his wife, Kaheleha, the new chief, saying, "'Our tribe must have a great warrior who will keep our people safe, and she is the greatest warrior of all.'
"And so, Kaheleha became the first great Spirit Chieftess of the tribe, and it was from that day forward that always the Quileutes had a woman to lead the tribe. Kaheleha became a powerful spirit warrior, and her fellow warriors grew fierce and valiant as any man. They drove off any enemy that dared come against us, as did all the Spirit Chieftesses who came after her.
"Generations passed. Then came the last great Spirit Chieftess, Taha Aki. She was a wise woman, who ensured peace and prosperity for the people. They lived well and content in her care.
"But there was one of the Taha Aki's spirit warriors, Utlapa, who was not so content."
A low hiss went around the fire at the name. I looked over, but was too slow to see where it started. Bonnie continued.
"Utlapa was one of the most gifted spirit warriors the tribe had ever seen. However, against the counsel of Taha Aki, she took a husband from one of the neighboring tribes.
"Now, this man had been wandering for some time, cast out by his people for his unquenchable yearning for power. When he learned of the magic of the Quileutes and his wife, he told his wife that the tribe could use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and Makahs and make the Quileutes great. And soon, for Utlapa, her husband's dream became her own.
"Now, when the warriors became their spirit selves, they knew one anothers' thoughts. Taha Aki saw what was in Utlapa's mind, and warned her sternly against allowing such black desires to taint her thoughts. Utlapa agreed, but her husband continued to speak of an empire, only igniting Utlapa's passion to seize and rule over other lands further.
"At last Taha Aki told Ultlapa that to remain with the tribe, she must banish her husband—for his words were like poison in the water. Utlapa loved her husband very much, and chose to leave the tribe rather than be parted from him. Taha Aki forbade her from ever using her spirit self again. However, by her husband's suggestion, they both still lingered nearby, waiting for an opportunity for Utlapa to avenge herself on Taha Aki. She thought perhaps if Taha Aki was dead, the others may well welcome the two of them back.
"Even in times of peace, Taha Aki was vigilant. Often she would journey to a sacred, secret place in the mountains, leaving her body behind so that she could sweep the forests and ensure that no enemies approached.
"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa and her husband followed. Utlapa meant to kill Taha Aki the moment her spirit left her body, but as she and her husband hid in the rocks, watching, waiting, she began to grow afraid. Surely the others would suspect her, and then they would hunt her down and destroy her. However, another plan occurred to her.
"Taha Aki left her body in the secret place and flew with the winds to watch over her people. Utlapa waited until she was sure the Chieftess had traveled some distance, then abandoned her own body.
"Utlapa knew that Taha Aki knew the moment she had entered the spirit world, and that she also knew Utlapa's plan. But the winds were not fast enough to bring Taha Aki back in time, and Utlapa took over Taha Aki's body.
"When Utlapa's husband saw Taha Aki get up and his wife still lay motionless, he was terrified. He fell on his knees before who he believed to be Taha Aki, and told her he had been against this plan from the start, but had been afraid of Utlapa if he went against her, for she was a wild and dangerous woman. He begged for mercy.
"Shocked, Utlapa saw her husband with new eyes, and she cursed her own folly. She realized then that if he were allowed to live, he may guess her secret and give her away to the others. Taha Aki had trained her body as well as her spirit, and so Utlapa struck down her husband.
"Now, Utlapa knew that were she to return to the spirit world and her own body, Taha Aki would attack and surely kill her for her treachery. Her only path then was to live on as Taha Aki.
"With the death of her husband, her heart became as hard as stone, and she slashed the throat of her own body to prevent Taha Aki from seizing it. Then she journeyed back down the mountain to the people.
"Utlapa took Taha Aki's place as tribe Chieftess. First, she ordered that no warrior enter the spirit world, saying that she had had a vision of danger. She knew that if any of the warriors entered the spirit world, they would meet Taha Aki and immediately know the truth. So the power of the spirit was gone, as were her husband's dreams of an empire and wide conquest. But Utlapa was content with power over the tribe.
"Utlapa ruled with an iron hand. She pushed the people to work beyond what they were able, trying to build the tribe's wealth without aiding in the work herself, and was merciless to those who defied her.
"Taha Aki watched the injustice with sickness and horror. When at last she had seen enough, she summoned a fierce wolf down from the mountains, to kill her own body. However, Utlapa remained safely hidden behind the men of the village. When the wolf killed one of the young men, the husband of one of her spirit warriors, Taha Aki was struck with grief, and ordered the wolf away.
"Now, Taha Aki suffered greatly, being nothing but spirit without a body for so long. Leaving one's body behind was always disorienting, unpleasant, which was why the power was only used in times of great need, and why none of the women had been eager to disobey Utlapa's new edict. Her spirit writhed in ever increasing agony as she began to despair that she would remain in torturous nothingness forever—doomed never to cross over to the final land where her ancestors waited, forced to watch the imposter beat the life out of the people she loved.
"The great wolf Taha Aki had brought from the mountains followed her where she went, sensing her pain and its own way, trying to comfort her.
"At first Taha Aki was repulsed by the beast that had killed one of her tribeswomen, though she knew she herself had brought it about. However, soon she was comforted. The wolf was a companion who, though not fully understanding her plight, knew she was here, that she existed. A friendship formed between the two, and where the spirit of Taha Aki went, so did the great wolf.
"Taha Aki spoke to wolf, and told her that, though her spirit may be beautiful, she envied the wolf her magnificent, powerful body, her beautiful, glossy fur—just simply for being a part of the real world.
"An idea occurred to Taha Aki then—an idea that seemed terribly selfish, and would require a great sacrifice from the friend she had grown to cherish. But she knew she could not remain in the spirit world much longer.
"So she asked if the great wolf could make room for her in that great body, to share. The wolf readily complied, and Taha Aki entered the wolf's body with gratitude that could not be measured.
"As one, Taha Aki and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the men to come. The men came with their spears, and the women, former spirit warriors, came behind, for they also knew how to fight and wished to protect their children. Utlapa remained behind, so she would not be in danger from the threat.
"Taha Aki did not strike at the warriors. Instead, she retreated slowly, and with her new strange, wolf voice attempted to imitate the sound of the songs of their people. The warriors realized that the wolf must be under the influence of a spirit, and an older women among the spirit warriors, Yut, decided to disobey their spirit Chieftess's order, so that she could communicate with the wolf.
"The moment Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf to speak with her. Yut learned the entire truth in an instant, and was happy and relieved to have their true Chieftess back.
"At that time, Utlapa came to inspect the work of the warriors, and if they had yet dispatched the beast. When she saw Yut lying motionless, and the circle of protective warriors standing around her, she knew what was happening. Before any of the tribe could react, she drew her knife—Yut, seeing what was about to happen, returned to her body, but before she could speak one word of warning, Utlapa stabbed her through the throat.
"'I am sorry, my dear sister,' Utlapa said, for the sake her audience. 'But I could not allow your foolish actions to doom the tribe.'
"Taha Aki watched Yut's spirit slip away to the final lands, and Utlapa feigned a great grief. Taha Aki was filled with a burning fury greater than she had ever known, and she raced back to the wolf. Perhaps she could not make the people understand, but she could at least tear out Utlapa's throat and save her people.
"But as Taha Aki returned, reconnecting with the wolf, a great and wondrous magic took place. Taha Aki's rage at Utlapa's cruelty and injustice were not the simple emotions of a wolf, and though the wolf had tried to help, had never been able to fully understand. The emotions of the human spirit were too great for the wolf to contain, and, as a great shudder rippled along her spine, the next moment it was no longer a wolf that stood before them, but a woman.
"The figure before them did not resemble Taha Aki—not the former Taha Aki of the physical world. Rather, this was the embodiment of Taha Aki's spirit, made flesh. She was tall, beautiful as the rising sun. Though none of the male warriors recognized her, all the former spirit warriors, who had seen her spirit, knew her at once.
"Utlapa did not react. She simply stood, gazing upon the glorious form of her former Chieftess, the one she had betrayed. Taha Aki's new body was lean and powerful, for she possessed the strength of the wolf, and Utlapa knew there was no hope to run or fight.
"'You will now receive your just reward for how you have acted,' said Taha Aki. 'I will not allow you to use that body to commit any more crimes against our people. There is no escape for you.'
"However, Taha Aki was still a kind soul and, feeling pity for her enemy even in that moment, hesitated to slay the woman. For Utlapa had not always been so cruel, and it was love for a terrible man that had hardened and twisted her heart.
"Utlapa smiled. 'Though we are not spirits, I know your thoughts, sister. You were always a weak woman, filled with childish notions. How could you lead our people? How could you keep them safe? You were too wretchedly kind, too self-sacrificing. Even now you do not do as necessary. Perhaps you may kill this body, but my spirit will live—and I will haunt these mountains until I may have my vengeance, and achieve all I desire.'
"Taha Aki immediately saw the error of having pity on her former warrior—Utlapa's mind was too twisted, too far gone. She lunged, but knew she would be too late, that Utlapa would escape to the spirit world, and continue to be a danger to her people.
"Now, Ultapa knew the pain of wandering bodiless in the spirit world, and she had no intention of suffering as Taha Aki had suffered. Her tribe knew her true face, and she had no home to ever hope to return to. Rather, her words to Taha Aki were her final act of vengeance—to ensure that, along with the kindness and compassion that had always been in her heart, restlessness and doubt would also linger. And so Taha Aki, with the new strength of a wolf, struck down Utlapa, and she allowed the spirit to be crushed from her.
"The people celebrated Taha Aki's return and the demise of the oppressor. Taha Aki took her place once again as the tribe's chieftess, and she stopped the cruelty and overbearing workload. However, as Utlapa had hoped, Taha Aki continued to be troubled by the memory of Ultapa's final moments. That her failure to act may have jeopardized the people and if, as cruel and twisted as her former sister had become, if there may have been a grain of truth in her ways.
"The name of Taha Aki became great among all the tribes, and she was called Taha Aki the Great Wolf. Though she removed most of Utlapa's edicts, she also forbade any of the spirit warriors to leave their bodies as they had in the past. She feared that more mischief may be caused if all knew that bodies could be stolen, and so the method for going to the spirit world was lost forever. Instead, when the tribe needed to be defended, Taha Aki would transform back into the wolf, and fight off or frighten any enemy. She was a fierce warrior, more fierce than before, and the people lived in peace.
"Taha Aki did not age, and she defended the tribe for many generations. She bore many children, and some of the daughters found that, once they had reached the age of adulthood, they could also change into wolves, and they aided their mother in defending the tribe. Her sons and daughters had children of their own, and some of them, too, discovered they could become wolves. Not all the daughters born with the magic chose to use it—they did not become wolves, and they aged as the rest of the tribe. Some of the daughters who fought alongside their mother also tired of the duty, and as they gave it up, they discovered that they, too, would once again begin to age.
"Taha Aki eventually grew weary. Though her body was young, her mind was old. But she feared to leave her daughters, to pass along the great burden she now bore to another. She had slain many enemies, and she bore the responsibility for every death. Taha Aki still remembered Utlapa's taunting words at the end, and since had been merciless many times when she would have rather been kind. She feared that were she to pass the responsibility to one of her precious daughters, the girl would be crushed, or she would become hard-hearted and cruel as Utlapa had been.
"Now, at that time, her last husband—the second, after the first had passed on of old age—had passed away many years before, and her daughters wished her to take another. When they became wolves, they knew one another's minds, as the spirit warriors had done, and they could feel in their mother's thoughts that she felt very much alone, and her heart was heavy.
"Taha Aki did not take the most powerful of the warriors of the tribe, as was the custom, but rather chose one of the least of the warriors, a humble, gentle man, who she had watched tenderly care for his ailing mother before she had passed on. He truly loved Taha Aki for her kindness and love for the people, and Taha Aki, though she had loved her other husbands, found she loved him in a way she had never loved before. He healed and revitalized her exhausted spirit, and her daughters were happy to see her vigor and joy returned.
"When she saw how much her mother loved her husband, Taha Wi, Taha Aki's oldest daughter, who had run with the wolves the longest, went to her mother and asked if she might not lead the pack, so that her mother might finally be allowed to age and grow old, as others already had before her, and so pass on to the final lands with her husband. Taha Aki had already done more than what any among the tribe could ask of their Chieftess.
"Taha Aki was reluctant, but her husband sided with Taha Wi, and together they convinced Taha Aki to relinquish her burden. And so, Taha Aki lived, aging with her husband.
"And that is the story of how the magic came to us," Bonnie completed. She took a long drink of water and wiped her forehead, and I blinked, suddenly brought back to the present. I'd been so involved with the story, I'd lost track of time and where I was.
I knew this couldn't be the end of the legends because we hadn't gotten to the cold ones yet. I looked at Bonnie expectantly, but she turned her eyes to old Quilla Ateara, and she shifted in her seat, straightening her shoulders.
"But that was not the end of the story," Quilla began in a thin, but somehow still quietly powerful voice. "That was the tale of the spirit warriors. Now is the story of the tribesman's sacrifice.
"After Taha Aki gave up the spirit wolf, and passed responsibility on to her oldest daughter, she lived for many years and grew old. The tribe remained at peace, for Taha Wi had watched her mother and learned well. However, trouble began to brew in the north. Women from the neighboring Makah tribe had disappeared, and the Makahs blamed the wolves. They were angry, and threatened war. The wolves knew that none of their number were to blame, for of course they knew one another's thoughts, but the Makahs would not be pacified. So Taha Aki told her daughter that they must find the true culprit.
"So Taha Wi took the five others wolves of her pack up into the mountains to seek out evidence of what had happened to the missing Makahs. There they came across an odd scent they had never before encountered—a strange, sweet smell that burned their noses to the point of pain."
I swallowed hard, but I listened with rapt attention.
Ancient Quilla spoke faster now, her rasping voice urgent. "They followed the scent, and along the trail they began to pick up the faint scent of humans intermingled with the sweet, burning odor. And they smelled human blood. Taha Wi began to suspect that this was the enemy they were searching for.
"As they journeyed further and further north, at last Taha Wi commanded half the pack, the three youngest, to return to the harbor and report their progress to Taha Aki. They did not wish to leave, but Taha Aki had to know what they had found, and some had to remain to protect the tribe in case the Makah chose to attack. They could not fight her commands, and so reluctantly they obeyed.
"The three returned to the village to wait for Taha Wi and their other two sisters' return. Every day they transformed, to connect their minds to that of Taha Wi to find where she and the others were. But one day when Yaha Uta, the oldest daughter to Taha Aki by her third husband, and the youngest member of the pack, changed as she did faithfully every day, she was met with only silence.
"Taha Aki was deeply grieved at the loss of her three daughters. She regretted giving up responsibility, for she would have rather she died in Taha Wi's place. She longed to rejoin the pack to help the others hunt down this strange, new threat to her people, but she was old and frail, and could not. Instead she did what she could now, going to the Makahs in mourning clothes to tell them of all that had happened. The Makahs saw Taha Aki's great agony, and knew she spoke the truth, and threatened the Quileutes no more. Yaha Uta and the other two daughters begged for permission to seek out the monster with the sickeningly sweet scent and destroy it, to protect the village and avenge their sisters.
"However, Taha Aki, terrified to lose more of her daughters, dissuaded them. If they left, who would defend the village? And clearly it would not do for them to split up to face such an enemy. So her daughters remained at the village. Perhaps the creature had left, frightened of the three wolves it had come across.
"However, one year later, two more Makah maidens disappeared, just as before. The Makahs called on the Quileutes for aid at once, and Yaha Uta and her sisters discovered the same sickly scent all over the Makah village. They were eager to take up the hunt once again. Taha Aki, heart heavy, went to speak with her husband.
"'I must let them go,' she said. 'For how can we sit by and see more of our neighbors lose their people? But my heart also asks, How can I let them go? Isn't it enough to lose three of my precious daughters? I have relinquished sons and daughters willingly before to old age, and I rejoiced that they would go to the final land after a long, good life. But this?'
"Her husband replied, 'You are right, it is not an easy thing, dear one. For myself, I, too, would not see them go. For the Makahs are not our blood. Yet they are like us, and we know fear as they now feel. Once, long ago, I know you used to journey up the mountain, to a secret place, and despite the pain of the spirit world, you entered it and swept the forests for enemies to protect our tribe. Then you chose to take up the body of the wolf, and live on, keeping your body young when your mind was old and weary. You have made great sacrifices for our people. Now, you must make a sacrifice greater than them all—sacrifice, not yourself, but allow the ones you love dearly to make their own sacrifices, as you made yours.'
"Taha Aki knew her husband spoke great wisdom, and she loved him all the more. 'I will do as you say,' she replied. And she added, 'If they do not return, I do not know how I shall bear it, but I believe, my dearest one, so long as I have you, I shall live through anything. I shall continue to do as I ought for the people, through fire and war.'
"And so that same evening, Taha Aki summoned her daughters, and told them to follow the scent and find the creature responsible for the Makah women's disappearance.
"Days passed, and Taha Aki's worry grew. But her husband was there to comfort her, as were two of her youngest daughters.
"At last, Yaha Uta returned. She was alone, and she carried a strange, cold, stoney corpse, which had been torn to pieces. The thing reeked of the odd sweet, burning smell, and they knew this was the enemy of the Makahs.
"Yaha Uta's aspect was grim as she explained to her mother what had happened—how she and her sisters had at last caught up with the creature. The creature resembled a woman, but she was pale as death with skin hard as granite. Both the Makah women were there—their empty, mangled corpses. Around the creature's mouth were dark stains, and her eyes glowed the color of blood.
"One of the sisters, enraged by the sight of the dead Makah women, lunged to attack. But the creature's strength was fierce, and it was as fast as the wolves, and the creature broke the sister's neck with one terrible blow. Yaha Uta and the remaining sister were cautious now. They used their numbers to their advantage, coming at the creature from two sides, hemming it in. They were forced to use all their speed and strength, and they stuck at it with their teeth, again and again.
"But the creature was fast and clever, and at last it lunged, getting its powerful pale hands on Yaha Uta's sister.
In that instant, the creature's attention was diverted from Yaha Uta, and Yaha Uta lunged for the neck, tearing the creature's head from its body. Still the creature fought on, and Yaha Uta tore it to pieces. However, her other sister was already dead.
"When Yaha Uta returned, she believed the creature to be destroyed, but when the pieces were laid out to be examined by the elders, before their eyes they watched the pieces slowly begin to creep along the ground, as the creature's body attempted to reassemble. Fearful and horrified, the elders set fire to the remains, and the air was filled with a choking, vile smoke. Then they took the ashes and spread them far and wide. Taha Aki took a pouch and placed some of the ashes inside it, wearing it around her neck, so if the creature tried to reassemble itself again, she would know."
Quilla Ateara paused in her story, and her eyes shifted to Bonnie. Wordlessly, Bonnie pulled a leather thong from around her neck, which I couldn't be sure if I had ever noticed before. At the end was a small pouch, blackened with age. I sucked in a breath as I realized what it was.
Quilla continued. "They called it the Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and they feared that the monster was not alone. Now the wolf pack was down to one, young Yaha Uta. And even as fierce and valiant as she was, she did not know if she could destroy another alone. She hoped that perhaps others might join the pack soon, so their village would be protected once again. She had two younger sisters, not yet of age.
"But Yaha Uta was still alone when the second blood drinker came.
"This blood drinker looked like a man, and he had the same unearthly beauty, the same hard, cold skin. His eyes were a deep black, but they, too, were beautiful. This was the other creature's mate, and he sought vengeance for her death. He spoke to the tribespeople on the edge of the village, his skin glittering in the light of the rising sun, trying to ask them a question in a foreign tongue. Dazzled by his unearthly radiance, they wished to answer but could not understood.
"Only one small girl, the only one of Taha Aki's bloodline there, put a hand over her face, collapsing to her knees and moaning of a terrible stench. A passing elder, on her way to council, heard the girl and, seeing the creature, knew instantly what was happening. She cried a warning—before the creature struck her dead.
"Many witnesses had seen the Cold One's approach, but he killed them with ease. Only two escaped—because the creature became distracted by the smell of blood and halted to sate his appetite. Those two ran to the tent of Taha Aki, where she sat in counsel with the other elders, as well as her three daughters and her husband.
"Yaha Uta was enraged at the deaths of her tribespeople, and transformed into the great wolf to destroy the creature. Taha Aki followed, along with the others, the elders, her other two daughters, and her beloved husband.
"Yaha Uta followed the sickly sweet stench and the trail of broken bodies, until she reached the harbor. Some of the tribespeople had fled to the ships for refuge, but the creature swam like a shark and broke the bow of their boat with incredible strength, then swam after each who tried to swim away and broke them, too. However, when he caught sight of the great wolf on shore, he returned, and in a moment he stood before Yaha Uta.
"He was more radiant than Yaha Uta could have imagined, with the great body of a warrior, and hair like sunlight. However, his lips curled back from his teeth like a beast, and he asked another incomprehensible question. Then they fought.
"Yaha Uta fought with great strength and vigor, but the creature was fast and experienced, and there was no hope to distract him even for an instant. At last Yaha Uta fell."
"Taha Aki saw the last daughter who had taken up the burden of protecting their people in her place, and she was filled with a wild grief that turned to rage, a rage at the injustice she had once felt in her younger days. And once again, as she had not done in so many years, she became the wolf. The wolf was bent with age, the fur of its muzzle white as the hair on her head, but her anger and grief gave her strength. The fight began anew.
"Now the elders and the Taha Aki's husband, her third and the one she loved more than any who had come before, stood by and watched the battle. Her husband knew that she could not win. She was weak with age, and the creature was young and strong. And once she fell, the creature would slaughter the rest of the tribe, all the elders, and his remaining two daughters.
"'I am sorry I am not a great fighter,' he said to himself. 'But I have tried to help my wife as best as I was able. Please, dear wife, know that I have always loved you, and understand what I must do.'
"The husband had been there when they had heard the stories. Of how the distraction of her sister's death had allowed Yaha Uta to kill the first creature, and how some villagers had been able to escape when the creature had become distracted by the blood of the bodies of the fallen. And so he knew, even though he was not a great warrior, and now he was old and feeble, he could still do something to aid his wife, to do his duty and give his own sacrifice for the tribe, as his wife had done so many years.
"Taha Aki's husband drew a dagger from his belt and raced toward the creature, blade raised high. The creature did not react, only its lip curled with disdain at such a foolish, pointless attack. He turned, smiling, ready to strike Taha Aki down, then take care of the others.
"But the husband did not attack the blood drinker. Instead, he fell to his knees at the creature's feet, and plunged the dagger into his own heart.
"The blood drinker froze for an instant as fresh blood spurted from the wound, bright crimson in the light. His monstrous instincts for a moment consumed him, and he turned on the man, mouth opening wide.
"Though the monster was before him, about the consume him, the husband did not look at the creature. Instead, he looked to his wife, old and frail with age. Though her wolf face could show no emotion, he saw the horror in her eyes. The look they shared was but an instant, but Taha Aki saw in that moment the strength in her husband's eyes, and a silent plea—a plea for her to understand.
"The pain Taha Aki felt pierced her soul, but through the pain she did understand—understood he had sacrificed himself for the things they both held dear, their precious daughters, and the tribe.
"And so, as the blood turned his full attention irresistibly on the dying man, Taha Aki took advantage of his distraction. With her great teeth, she tore out his throat, and his head was detached from his body. In the same instant, the two younger daughters, seeing their father's death, were filled with such grief and hatred of the creature, they both transformed for the first time. Together, they tore the creature apart, and the elders burned it.
"Once the fight was finished, Taha Aki resumed her human form and went to sit beside the body of her husband. There she remained for an entire day, weeping with such bitterness and despair that her two daughters began to believe that it would be better if she were to pass on, so that their mother may go to join him in the final land.
"However, the next morning, Taha Aki got up, and though her face was still streaked with tears, she calmly ordered that his body and all the others be taken care of in the usual way of the tribe.
"When the two young daughters spoke to their mother, asked if she would soon pass on, she replied, 'Your father did his duty to protect the tribe. Now I shall do mine until my end comes. You are both young and still in need of guidance. I will stay with you as long as I am able—and so I hope he will have nothing to reproach me with when at last we meed in the final lands.' And so she did, until at last old age claimed her, and her spirit was freed.
"From that time on, the tribe experienced little trouble with the cold ones. The wolves now knew how to fight them, and the blood drinkers seemed always taken by surprise to meet them. The daughters of Taha Aki, and their daughters, and their daughters, always kept a pack of three wolves, and it was enough. Though occasionally a wolf would die in battle, never again was the pack decimated as before. Knowledge of how to fight them was passed on, generation to generation, wolf mind to wolf mind.
"Time passed, and it grew so that descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves after reaching maturity. Only when the cold ones drew near, and the need arose would there be another wolf pack. Even then the cold ones never appeared in more than one or two, and so a small pack was always enough.
"Then a larger coven came, larger than any we had ever seen—and Elda Black, the leader of the pack, and the rest prepared to fight, to the death if necessary. But there were too many and the chance of victory slight. But then, the leader of the Cold Ones approached Elda Black, and spoke calmly, peacefully. She said they had no desire to harm the Quileutes, and that they would rather they try to coexist, to live in peace and understanding with one another. Elda Black saw that the woman and the rest her fellow cold ones had strange yellow eyes, not the crimson red of the monsters. And, seeing again that they were outnumbered, agreed to the terms the blood drinker suggested. So long as they did not bite or consume the blood of a human, and so long as they kept to their own land, they would not attack.
"Their numbers have now forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen," Old Quilla said. Her ancient black eyes traveled slowly around the circle, then came to rest on me. "Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time."
She breathed a deep, rattling sight through her old, cracked lips. "And so the daughters of the tribe once again bear the burden of their ancestors, making the great sacrifice."
All was silent for a long moment. I kept my head bowed in respect, but my eyes traveled briefly around the circle, from one pair of sad eyes weighed down with responsibility to the next.
At last someone spoke, and the low flippant voice seemed oddly jarring in the mystical mood of magic.
"Burden, yeah," said Jay. "But you've got to admit, it still has its moments."
"You think if I play up this burden thing, I'll be able to get a few miles out of it?" Quil added. "Yeah Dad, sorry, I didn't get my homework done again. It's because I was out hunting vampires."
Bonnie chuckled a little at that, and the mood shifted, the magic seeming to fade into the glowing embers. The fact that the young women sitting here were all the descendants of Taha Aki, still carrying on the centuries-long battle against the Cold Ones, faded to the background again, and they were all just a bunch of friends again, teenage girls laughing and talking about guys and having a good time. Low conversations murmured all around us, teasing and casual.
Lee Clearwater's eyes remained closed, and though his face appeared smooth, I thought I saw the barest hint of a furrow in his brow in the flickering firelight.
Neither Jules nor I spoke. She was quiet, and her breathing was deep and even as though she was on the verge of sleep.
I stared deep into the fire, and the stories of so long ago turned slowly in my mind. I wasn't thinking about wolves or spirits or vampires. I wasn't thinking about anything mystical or supernatural at all—rather, I was thinking about the love between Taha Aki and her last husband, left unnamed in the story. Taha Aki had been the one with all the powers, the sharp mind for leadership, the body of the wolf that let her protect the people. Her husband had just been an ordinary guy, not even a strong warrior by human standards. But he had loved her, done what he could to try to keep her sane. And in the end, he'd saved his wife and tribe—not by being powerful, or a great fighter, but by his own sacrifice. And in doing it, he'd looked to his wife for acceptance, understanding. And in spite of how much she loved him, needed him, her love had been such that she had given it to him. She lived on, living as she knew he would have wanted her to.
The tragedy of it was heartrending. Yet there was something undeniably beautiful as well. I wondered if...
I blinked as I felt someone shaking my arm.
"Yo, we're here."
I blinked again, squinting and frowning as I realized the fire was gone. I shook my head, disoriented, and as I looked around I saw I was no longer on the cliff. I was in the front passenger seat of Jules's car.
I sat up suddenly with a start. "What time is it?" I said, alarmed. "Did I fall asleep?" I began patting my pockets frantically for the phone. Crud, I had really stepped in it this time.
"Relax," Jules said bracingly. "It's not even midnight." She reached over and picked up a small boxy thing from the dash and waved it. It took me a second to realize it was my phone.
"And I already went ahead and called her for you, so don't worry. Look, she's right over there, waiting."
"Midnight," I muttered, shaking my head and trying to blink the sleep from my eyes. I looked down at the phone as Jules offered it to me. I woke up a little more then and I turned to look at her in wonder. "You called her for me? Really?"
She rolled her eyes, and my eyes were just adjusted enough to see the white gleam of her grin in the gloom. "Don't give me a good Samaritan award or anything. I just figure if I play nice, she won't have an excuse to go ballistic and stop you from coming over again."
I smiled. She was trying to be nonchalant and cool, but I still appreciated it all the same. After all her talk about how I should just stay and not go back, it was good to know I could trust her when the chips were down.
"Thanks, Jules," I said. "I mean it. You're the best. And thanks for inviting me down here tonight. That was really amazing."
Jules's smile was wide. She rubbed the back of her neck, and for the first time, looked a bit self-conscious. "Thanks for coming. It was kind of nice...I mean, for me. Having you there."
I noticed a flash of movement in the dark distance up ahead. A pale figure—pacing back and forth, wearing a hole in the ground.
"Patient, much?" Jules muttered, eying the figure, too. She shrugged. "Well, guess you better go. But hurry back, okay?"
"Sure." I cracked open the car door, and cold air blew across my face, making me shiver.
"Have a good sleep," she said. "Don't worry about anything, I'll be out there in the woods, keeping an eye out for any trouble."
I paused, then frowned. "You really should be getting some rest. I'll be fine, you don't need to do that. Sleep's kind of important."
"Sure, sure," she said, waving a hand dismissively, but I thought she sounded more patronizing than agreeing.
"Night, Jules. See you."
"Good night, Beau," she said softly, and I felt her eyes follow me as I headed off up the road.
Edythe was waiting for me almost right at the boundary line, and almost the moment I was across it her arms were around me in a relieved embrace, her face pressed against my shoulder as she breathed in my scent.
"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling like a jerk. "I should have called. I just totally dozed off, and—"
"I know," Edythe cut me off, running her fingers through my hair soothingly. "Julie Black explained." She turned toward the car, and I did my best to follow, though my legs felt stiff and unwieldy.
"You're tired," Edythe said, keeping an arm securely around the back of my waist. "Here, lean on me."
"I'm fine," I answered, though I did put an arm around her shoulders. Her skin was cold against mine, and it made me shiver.
"I think you need a bed," Edythe said as she half pulled me toward the car. "So how was it? Did you have a good time?"
I grinned a little. "Oh yeah, it was pretty awesome. They told us some of the old Quileute legends—man, does Bonnie know how to bring a story to life. And to think they all really happened..."
"You'll have to tell me about them," Edythe said, smiling. She added, "Though maybe not until you've had a chance to sleep." I was sagging against her, my toes trying to catch on something every other step.
Edythe somehow got me in the car, and I leaned my head against the side window, eyelids already sinking again. Bright lights suddenly flashed across our windshield, as Jules fired up her car. I smiled a little and waved, though I couldn't be sure she saw me in the darkness.
Charlie didn't give me as much trouble as I expected when I got back, as apparently Jules had had the foresight to call him, too.
I headed upstairs, and though I was having trouble keeping my eyes open and my body felt heavy, I didn't immediately drop myself down on the bed. Instead, I went and opened the window, waiting for Edythe as she took the Volvo back to her house. I shivered, and was surprised by how cold, even wintry the air was. I hadn't noticed it on the windy cliffs—probably because I was sitting next to Jules.
Icy droplets spattered my face as it began to rain. It was too dark to see much of anything but the silhouette of the forest. Even so, my eyes scanned automatically, looking for a small, pale form darting through the trees like a silver panther, or the dark, shaggy outline of a great wolf...But of course, my human eyes were too weak to make out anything.
Then I saw a movement in the night right beside me. A moment later Edythe slipped through the open window, her delicate hands even colder than the rain.
"Did you see Jules out there?" I asked, shivering again as Edythe slid an arm around my back and briefly pressed her face to my shoulder.
"No," she said. "But she is out there—somewhere. Earnest is going home now."
I sighed and shook my head. "They shouldn't have to do this. It's cold and wet out there."
Edythe laughed softly. "It's only cold to you, Beau," she reminded me.
I managed to smile a little, but I shivered again.
That night, as I slept beside Edythe as always, my dreams were cold, too.
I dreamed I was standing outside in the storm, the wind whipping my hair, stinging my eyes. I realized I was on the rocky crescent of First Beach, and as I looked out, I dimly saw shapes moving in the darkness. A flash of white and black, darting like lighting toward each other, then dancing away. I squinted, trying to see. Then, as if the moon had broken over the clouds, everything suddenly came sharply into focus.
The white shape was Royal, magnificent, powerful, his eyes black as pitch and his hair like sunlight. He was a blur as he lunged toward the black shape—an enormous wolf with a muzzle shot through with silver hair that I immediately knew was Bonnie Black.
I tried to shout at them to stop, but no sound came from my mouth as my voice was snatched away by the howling wind. My eyes scanned the scene, and I saw figures standing back from the beach, watching the fight with fearful, somber faces. There was Saul Clearwater, and Old Quilla, and Sarah, too, her eyes wide with terror. I saw the form of a great wolf, lying motionless on the ground. Its russet fur was soaked with blood.
I knew what would happen to the rest of them if nothing was done. I didn't have time for fear or grief as I stared at Jules's body—dead or just hurt, I couldn't tell. My eyes dropped to my hands, and I realized for the first time that gripped in my right hand was a sharp silver blade. I knew what I had to do.
I raised my eyes to the fight once again, and I realized it was no longer the old wolf Bonnie Black there, but a small form, pale as the assailant, her long bronze hair fluttering as she wove in and out of the powerful attacks.
I met Edythe's eyes for a fraction of a moment as I raced toward Royal, raising the blade high, silently pleading for her to understand.
Her painfully beautiful face contorted with horror and she turned toward me. I heard the sound of blood splash against the ground, and the smell filled the air.
I slowly dropped my eyes to my chest, untouched, then to the blade, still a clean, glittering silver. A white hand gripped my wrist, holding the dagger away.
I stared down at her for a second. Then slowly, numbly, I raised my eyes to the scene before me. Royal was standing there, only it was no longer Royal. His hair was red like fire, his sinewy stance like a lion. His eyes glowed crimson, his teeth stained red as his mouth spread in a hideous grin.
I awoke with a jolt to the quiet darkness of my bedroom. I heard a thump of a book falling to the floor, and looked up to see someone was sitting on the bed beside me.
Edythe laid down beside me, propping herself up on one elbow so she could peer down anxiously into my face. Her cool hands stroked my forehead, smoothing back my hair. "Are you all right, Beau?" she whispered. "Did I wake you?"
I shook my head, wiping some of the cold sweat from my forehead. "Just a nightmare."
"Would it help to tell me about it?"
I hesitated as images from the dream flickered through my head again. "I probably won't remember it in the morning." I said, looking away.
I felt Edythe's cool arms wind around me, tucking my head under her chin. Her lips brushed my hair, and I heard her hum a little, the tune I recognized as the lullaby she had composed for me.
My eyes felt heavy, but as I glanced down, I noticed a heavily creased book on the floor.
"Were you reading?"
"Yes," Edythe said, and I could picture her slight smile. "Your Frankenstein. You left it out."
Through my grogginess, I was faintly surprised. "I didn't think you liked that one."
Edythe laughed softly. "I don't."
It wasn't until I was on the brink of unconsciousness again, that, so softly I thought I might have dreamed it, Edythe added, "But there are somethings I can relate to, I suppose...What the monster wants most. But I think his creator makes a good point, as well. There's always that chance it would have turned out that way..."
Edythe said something more, but by that time, I was already asleep.
The next morning came, overcast and still. Edythe asked me about the dream again, but I couldn't remember too much, and what little I could remember made me think I didn't want to tell her. Edythe kissed me for a brief goodbye, then left to go home, to change and get her car.
I got dressed quickly, then started to turn for the door, ready to head down to breakfast. However, I paused as I noticed my copy of Frankenstein still lying on the floor. I went to grab it to set it on the nightstand, but I noticed it was laying open, the damaged binding holding it flat. I remembered hazily Edythe's cryptic remarks the night before, and I paused to briefly scan the page.
"And she, who in all probability was to become a thinking and reasoning animal, might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation. They might even hate each other; the creature who already lived loathed his own deformity, and might he not conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes in female form?"
I frowned as I looked down at the passage. I knew this scene very well. The monster Victor Frankenstein had created had asked, if his creator would not treat him with kindness as an equal, that Frankenstein create another monster to be his companion. But Frankenstein, who despised the monster he had created, wondered if, after creating her, she might hate the monster too and leave him anyway, or he might despise her.
I wondered if this was the passage Edythe had been reading, and what she might have found so interesting about it. I scanned the page again, and as my eyes fell again on some of the words, I felt a chill down my spine. "...loathed his own deformity, and might not he conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes..."
I shook my head quickly, and set the book with a decided thump on the nightstand. That probably wasn't what she'd been reading anyway.
authors note
In the original, this chapter is about as long as the other chapters. But somehow, in this reimagined version, it turned into a monster...
The original stories are, of course, based in real Quileute legends from what I understand, except the story of the cold ones. (There are legends of cold ones in other Native American tribes, but nothing in the Quileute legends.) However, there had to be quite a few changes made to make it work as a story for the gender-swap, so this version naturally had to be quite a bit different. It might not have as much of a 'legend' feel as the original (I feel like it would be a bit of a problem for the elders being forced to memorize all that dialogue I put in the stories x3), but I was hoping to go for something that would fit in thematically with the rest of the Reimagined story.
Anyway, thanks so much for reading! I know this chapter is rougher than some of the others, and is probably a more difficult read (this was by far one of the most difficult chapters, and I put a lot of time into trying to improve the sense of flow, but I know I didn't really solve everything), but if you have a moment, let me know what you thought. See you next time~