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Lada's POV
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I knew what had appeared in town one of the elder Dracoian monsters had sent a shadow demon. I could not make it to the town before it got away. That meant they were on a mission to find more magic beings. They realized they had missed some. Likely how important they are now.
I was gonna need more help, until Accalia was ready she was no match for those assassins. There was one in this place I had found a friend. She was old, but her power strong and her mind sharp. She would know how to protect Accalia, this woman was a follower of Leto and a wolfwalker. Mariana would know how to help.
I stood out front of her gate. I sat and howled my presence. Spirit dogs appeared at the gate to her place several on each side. All looked at me judging my reasons for being here. Their spirit taking corporeal form. Catahoula, a few mixes and Plott hound stared at me.
"What is it you want with our human?" I heard the Plott hound ask.
"I need a direction for Accalia, Shadow assassins have appeared in town." I sat on my hunches to emphasis on my non threat to her. For animals to protect even like this meant great power laid in this woman. A direct descendant of Leto her blood was much like the demigods that hid in plain sight. The reason she was still alive after 100 years, spry enough to ride horses and change to wolf.
"You may enter," The hound nodded.
The black Catahoula I noticed was watching me with her luminescent amber eyes. "Be on your best behavior." She raised her lips to me.
I lowered my head to her, and continued forward slow and steady. Walking up the pathway I found an inground home, much like a hobbit home of a sort. There I sat at the door, taking a paw I scratched at it. I could smell wonderful things inside. Baked bread, meat of all sorts, and sugar made into wonderous things.
The wooden door swung open, looking up my eyes caught sight of runes carved into the frame work along with bones and other bits of magical protections. The woman who opened the door was aged, though you got a sense of vitality and youth.
"Lada, what brings you to my door?" I hear her ask.
"A Shadow assassin was in town, a bit ago." I sat at the end of her wooden table. Her house looked much like one would have hundreds of years ago. Simple and close to the Earth. Mariana still had her back to me while she was working something on the counter. I could see her small frame, doing what work was there. Her white hair long down her back in a single braid. The work stopped suddenly. She turned, her aged grey eyes and changed leaving only luminous violet in its place like mine. "A Shadow dared to get this close." I heard her growl.
"Yes my Lady," I lowered my head. "My charge, Accalia is not ready for such things yet. Was hoping you might have a solution." my head still lowered out of respect. She was pureblood, her wolf far stronger then even me.
"Accalia," I heard her whisper the name. Looking back to me she smiled. You could see the hint of fangs in her smile though a human would notice nothing. "She is offspring to me, through my eldest from a Southern wolf."
"A southern wolf, whoa... how did they miss that." I was shocked, it explained why the southern wolf appeared.
"I was young he was the first love of my heart, it did not last long. As he was taken to soon. Then I met my husband of 40 years. He was of Altantian blood. My other children and their children still run these lands when the time is needed." Her eyes had gone back to the aged grayish white.
"My Lady, Accalia was visited in a life before this one by a Southern wolf. It appears as another soul contract has been formed between them. Though she has a soul contract with an Altantian of warrior class." I knew this would be familiar to her.
"She is going to relive the life I started but this time in a magic war," she sighed. "Her Alantian does not want to come back I take it?"
"No, he is tired of battle." I said sadly. "Though I understand."
"As do I," She motioned for me to come forward. I walked closer to the counter, there I seen she had made a bone talisman. One with elder futhark runes, the other in the language of magic. "This talisman to her male," holding the Elder Futhark runes, "this to Accalia," showing the langauge of magic. They will go unseen from the shadows and the others who are looking for them. I am making the storm so the pillagers in the town do not come this way." The last bit I heard the snarl to it.
"Understood My Lady, her mate is in town fighting as we speak." I added as an after thought.
"Hmm," she said "I will have Ice deliever this to him. You take hers to her immediately." she handed me the talisman meant for Lia. "Now go friend, I will make sure her mate gets this one."
The front door opened as if by magic, and I felt a pull out the door. As I departed I heard a voice ask for the name Ice.