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Part 16

The joy of realizing that I will never be alone again washes over. But in that sea of happiness a thread of sorrow floats into my mind as well causing tears to begin falling from my eyes. As soon as I feel the tears begin to fall I turn my back to Shadow and work to wipe them away.

Apparently I didn't turn fast enough and he saw the tears. I feel Shadows paw on my shoulder as he speaks, "What's wrong love? Did I upset you somehow?" I shake my head as I fight back more tears. With a sniff I answer him, "No love you didn't upset me. If anything you have made me the happiest wolf in the world. Until this moment I have lived the last 3000 years alone. I have buried more friends than I can even remember."

I place my paw on top of his and turn to face him, "I have had to watch everyone I ever cared about grow old and eventually die while I stayed exactly the same year after year, century after century. Then one day this wonderful wolf literally falls into my life and from the moment I saw him I was head over hills in love with him. On that day I forgot that I was immortal and he wasn't. I forgot that I was the last of a nearly extinct race. All that mattered to me was that wolf and that I would be with him for as long as possible."

There is a look of confusion along with a twinge of sorrow in Shadows eyes as I tell him this. I place a soft kiss on his nose and smile at him, "That wolf was you Shadow. Before I met you I wasn't really living in this world. Yes I was alpha of a pack and I had friends, but I had never been in love with anyone. I had never thought about staying in any one place for the rest of my life. In fact the time I have spent here is the longest I have stayed in one place in over a millennium."

Understanding crosses his face but he says nothing as I keep talking. "It had never crossed my mind in the time we have been together that the day would come when you would grow old and eventually die while I was left behind without you. But now you are a fire guardian. This means that now you are immortal, just like me and we literally have forever together now."

We just stand there looking into each other's eyes with tears falling slowly as we both fully grasp the fact that we are truly going to be together forever. Then Shadow steps forward and wraps his arms around my neck as he buries his nose into my neck. I wrap my arms around him and hold him close for what seems like hours. In that moment it is just the two of us that exist, nothing else matters in the world but the person who we are holding on to.

Eventually he pulls back from the hug but keeps his arms wrapped around my neck as he looks me in the eyes with a smile on his face. "Love, I never for a single day doubted that we would find a way to spend the rest of our lives together, even after you told me you were going to live forever or till you were killed. So we had a small hurdle to overcome, but I knew that we would find a way past it together, and now we have."

He drops his hands from around my neck and pulls me over to one of the couches by the fire place and we sit down together. "I have never told anyone this, not even my father knew about it. But before the seer that gave him his fortune left our home he gave me a fortune as well. I was alone in my room when he came in. For a moment we just stood there staring at each other. I knew who he was of course and he knew me so we didn't need to introduce ourselves."

He turns and looks into the dead fireplace at the cold ashes, "What he said though took me by surprise. I will remember his words for the rest of my life. He said 'Young Shadow, you are the son of darkness who steals the light from others yet you have never lost your own inner light. You will rise to become a great force for good even after your fathers bones have turned to dust and been forgotten to time. One day you will meet a wolf who has seen the worst horrors of the night and experienced the greatest wonders of the day. When that day comes your life as it is now will end and new one will begin.' With that he turned and left, I never saw him again."

I can't help but be stunned at what Shadow has said, our meeting had been for told by a seer, and it was a predicted outcome. One way or another we were fated to be together forever. I am confused as to whether I am overjoyed at knowing that the love of my life would have always found his way to. But I am also concerned that Shadow and I have become the playthings of fate, objects to be used at its whim.

I look at Shadow as he looks at the ashes in the fireplace and I realize something. Even if we had not be fated to find each other I would have always fallen in love with this wonderful wolf I am privileged to call my mate. So I don't care if fate chose us for each other for some destiny that may or may not come to pass. I am just grateful that I have found the person that I am going to spend the rest of my life with. I hope that that will end up being a very, very long life indeed.

I must have a bit of a goofy looking grin on my face cause when Shadow turned back to look at me he started laughing which only made me start laughing as well. Eventually we both calm down and lean back into the couch and relax. I look at him with a smile, "I needed that laugh, especially after the last couple days." He smiles back and says, "I know. Seeker, no matter what that seer said, about me being destined to find you, I just want you to know that I would have always fallen in love with you anyway." I smile and pull him into a soft kiss.

"I was just thinking the same thing love." We sit there just enjoying each other's company before another crisis happens that demands our attention. Though after the last one I could do without the action for a decade or two.

I am just about to start dozing when Shadow says, "Do you think there will be more guardians showing up? Would be a shame if you and I are the only two for the rest of time." He turns and smiles, "Not that I want to share you. Just saying, the world could use more guardians."

His words bring me back to full alert and remind me of the aura's I have been seeing around people and the thought I had earlier when we were talking with Wolfie. I sit up and look at Shadow, "About that, there is something that has been happening this morning that I think maybe related to finding new guardians."

Now it's his turn to get alert, "What are you talking about?" I look down at my hands as I start explaining, "Well it first happened this morning when I helped Rick up off the floor. When our paws touched I saw a green aura around him and felt a tingling in my wrist. Then it happened again when I helped Rosalie out of the kitchen only she had a blue aura around her. The third time was when Wolfie and I shook when he came in, he had a white aura around him, but it was fainter than the others, like it wasn't complete yet, and there wasn't a tingling in my wrist."

He gives me a slightly smirking look as his eyes light up, "Don't you see what that means?" I look at him and the thought that I had while talking with Wolfie comes back with a vengeance and a smile lifts my lips, "Yeah I do. It means that you and I are not going to be the last of the guardians." His smirk increases to a full out smile as he responds, "Not the last, but the first of a whole new generation. And I think Rick and Rosalie are the next two, with Wolfie joining us one day when he has earned it."

I lean back in my seat as Shadow repositions himself so he can lay his head in my lap and we just bask in the knowledge that we won't be the only ones for long. After a moment he asks, "Are you going to tell them that they can become guardians if they want?" That causes my eyes to open as I realize something, I don't know how to make them guardians.

"Well they do need to be given the choice obviously, but I'm not all that sure I will be able to turn them. When I made you one it was a combination of instinct and my dad helping through the ring. This time I would be on my own doing it." He looks up at me and smiles, "So it's something that can wait till later, that's good." I look down at him with a raised eyebrow, "And just how does that make it good?"

He smiles as he closes his eyes, "Because I'm rather comfy right here." I just laugh and relax into the seat, resting my head on the back of the couch and let my eyes drift shut as we settle in for a short nap before something else wants our attention.

My eyes are not closed five minutes before there is another knocking on the door. Shadow growls in my lap and mumbles, "I just got comfy." I groan as I sit up straight and encourage Shadow to sit up as well before calling out, "The doors open." Then under my breath so only Shadow can hear, "This had better be something important."

Rick pokes his head in the door, "Seeker, sorry to disturb you, but I really think we could use your help downstairs." I look at Rick with a raised eyebrow, "What is going on that you would need my help with?"

At that moment a crash comes from down the stairs behind Rick causing him to look behind him then back at me. "Well there seems to be a disagreement between some of the villagers and part of the other pack." Another crash echoes towards us. Shadow and I are out of our seats and heading for door in a heartbeat as Rick turns and leads us towards the commotion.

Coming down the stairs I see the wolves from the visiting pack along one side of the entrance hall and the villagers along the other side. In between them is my pack trying to hold them at bay. Rosalie and Luna are holding back a rather irate looking man who seems to be intent on getting past them to get his hands on a red wolf who is currently being held back by Jasper and Eve. The roar of yelling from both sides drives spears into my ears which I flatten to my head to try and block out the noise.

I summon my trident and slam the base on the floor sending a ringing bang around the room as I yell out, "SILENCE!!!" The room grows silent in an instant as all faces, both human and wolf, turn to look at me. I look around the room making eye contact with as many individuals as possible. Each pair of eyes I meet quickly looks down when they lock gaze with me.

I take a deep breath then start, "I have opened this home to all of you as a place of safety and peace. As long as you are in these walls I don't want any fighting. I am well aware that there are hard feelings towards some who are here. The last couple days have been very trying and painful for many of us. Everyone has suffered. But all of those pains can be laid at the feet of one wolf and that one wolf is currently tied up outside waiting for his fate to be determined."

I look between the man and wolf that are currently being restrained but are no longer fighting to get at each other. "Now, will someone tell me what is going on here?" There is a burst of noise as both sides try to get their side of the story out at once. I rap my trident on the floor again brining silence to the room again. "Calmly, can someone tell me what is going on calmly."

Rosalie lets go of the man she is holding and steps forward. "Well apparently mister Rockley here has some issue with this wolf." She gestures to the wolf that Jasper and Eve are holding. "He seems to think that he was involved in the destruction of mister Rockley's home." I look at mister Rockley and ask, "Is that what this argument is about?"

He jerks his arm free of Luna and stands up straight as he addresses me, "Yes it is, and I don't think he had something to do with it. I know he did and I demand to be compensated for my loss." I nod and turn to the wolf who looks to be in his early twenties and stands about six foot tall, "What is your name son?" He looks at me with a touch of attitude that is tempered with respect. He answers as Jasper and Eve let go of him, "My name is Timothy, and I did not destroy anyone's house."

I nod and turn back to mister Rockley, "Why don't you tell me what happened yesterday that has you convinced that this young wolf was responsible for destroying your home?" Rockley puffs out his chest in a show of power, never mind the fact he is easily three feet shorter than me. "Well I was in my house helping my wife get some things put away that she had bought in the market when we heard a noise outside. I open the door in time to see this wolf throw a lit torch on the roof of my house. My wife and I barely got out before the whole place was on fire." He ends his story with a hateful glare at Timothy.

I walk to a nearby window and look out at wolves we have tied to trees. I turn and look at Timothy, "Timothy, what were you doing yesterday during the attack?" He looks down at the floor before he starts talking, "I was supposed to be in one of the groups led by one of Alpha Harandoom's betas, but first chance I got I lost the group and hid in an alley till I found someone I trusted. After that I was led here by Wolfie."

I walk back between Timothy and mister Rockley and speak to Rockley, "Did you get a good look at the wolf that threw the torch and could you describe him?" He puffs himself up even more, "That I did, and that's how I know it was him. He was red and taller than me by at least a foot." That last comment catches my attention more than anything else he has said.

I look at Rockley then at Timothy and back again, "You said the wolf who threw the torch was red and taller than you. Well Timothy is certainly red I will give you that." I motion for Timothy to step forward and for Rockley to stand beside him. They are just a few inches apart in height with Timothy being the taller, but he is a long way from being a foot taller. There is a wave of muttering around the room as people understand what I am showing.

I then look at Rockley, "While Timothy is red he is certainly not a full foot taller than you, barely a couple inches in fact." Rockley looks at Timothy and his eyes widen as he realizes I have just put a major hole in his story. I then put a paw on Rockley's shoulder and guide him to the window I had just looked out and direct his gaze to three of the wolves out there. "Why don't you tell me the color of those three wolves out there mister Rockley."

He swallows hard before saying in a small voice, "They're um... they're red." I nod, "And would that be the same color red as the wolf that burned your home?" He nods silently. "I see, so I ask you mister Rockley, are you still sure that Timothy here is the one burned your house?" He shakes his head. I drop my paw from his shoulder and turn back around to the crowd, "I didn't think you would. Seeing as how two of those wolves out there are the same color as Timothy and also meet the requirement as being taller than you I would wager that one of them was the one who burned your home."

Rockley turns and slinks back to the rest of the villagers as I start moving through the room again. I take several steps as I organize my words in my mind before I speak, "I know that tensions are high right now and that tempers are going to be easily set off. My own emotions have been frayed over the last couple days. But going around and blaming each other for our troubles will not solve anything."

"Over the next few days we will be holding a trial for Harandoom and his circle, the ones who are at the center of all the violence we have suffered. I have met with one of the visiting packs members and he has vouched for all the wolves in his pack that remain free just as I will be vouching for all those in my own. I have been known in this village for the all of the lives of almost everyone still alive. In all that time have ever once given any of you a reason to not trust me or those that I speak for?"

I look across the faces of the villagers for any signs of trouble, "I understand that you are afraid for your lives, you have been hurt, and have suffered great losses. My pack and I will be there for you to help you rebuild your lives as best you can." I hold an arm up to the other pack, "I have even been told that these wolves are willing to help you as well if you want to accept their help. I for one would welcome the chance for all of us to become friends and allies."

I look straight at Rockley as I start the next part of my speech, "Some of you have lost your homes, most of you will be able to restore your homes back to the way they were without too much trouble. This pack doesn't have that option. Harandoom destroyed all of their homes, all of their possessions, everything they did not have on their backs the day they left to come here. Every single one of them is homeless today because of the actions of one individual."

As Rockley lowers his gaze in shame I let my gaze travel over the rest of the crowd, "They have lived in terror for years under Harandoom's tyrannical fist. They have been hurt, beaten, even killed by him and his circle of goons. What you felt for one day they have felt their entire lives. The fear you had for a few hours they have known since they were pups. Yet through all of that they have managed to remain a good hearted group who care about others. My own mate Shadow, whom many of you have befriended over recent weeks, is Harandoom's son. Yet he doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

More heads are lowered among the villagers, "I am not asking you to forgive those who harmed you for what they have done. I can't ask you to do something that I myself cannot do. What I am asking you to do is to be strong, and to try and be fair to our visitors for however long they stay here. And please try to avoid starting any more arguments while in my home. We just redecorated." My last comment brings out a few laughs and helps to breaks the tension of the room that has been building for several minutes now.

I stand there holding my trident watching the room as it begins to empty out. Wolves and villagers go their different ways, some go to their temporary rooms while others go outside. For the most part they keep to themselves but a few intermingle getting to know each other. I watch as mister Rockley approaches Timothy with his hand held out. From where I am standing I can just barely hear Rockley apologize for his behavior. Timothy looks at him a moment accepts his apology then shakes his hand and turns to head outside.

Wolfie steps up next to me just as I dissolve my trident and speaks up, "That was an impressive speech Seeker, and thanks for standing up for Timothy like that. You really had no reason to." I shrug, "It's all part of being an Alpha. Knowing how to diffuse a hostile situation, being able to give a good speech, and putting people with attitudes in their place. Especially when they are convinced they are right even when their own stories prove them wrong."

He lets out a sigh, "It will take me a long time to get used to being Alpha won't it." I turn and look at him with a raised eyebrow. He looks at me with a grin, "The rest of my pack agreed to make me Alpha just after I talked with you, it was a unanimous vote." A smile breaks out on my face as I hold out a paw for him to shake, "Congratulations Alpha Steel, you will be a great leader for your pack." He shakes my paw as he says, "Well after our last Alpha I think I can manage alright."

We both stand there watching over emptying room when Shadow walks up and offers a hand to Wolfie, "I just heard congratulations Alpha." Wolfie shakes his hand and smiles. Shadow then steps up beside me and leans in close. He whispers in my ear, "So I was thinking, how about we tell Rosalie first. If she accepts it would give the Villagers a guardian that they can relate to more, after all there are already two wolf guardians, they may start to get suspicious."

I look at my mate and can't help being impressed, "That's a good idea, glad you thought of it. Why don't we go catch up with her and talk to her." I turn to Wolfie, "Shadow and I need to go talk to a friend talk to you later Alpha Steel." He waves us off and goes to talk to some of his pack members that are heading outside.

Tracking down Rosalie proved to be fairly easy, just follow the shouts coming from the kitchen which she seems to have taken over as her personal area. As Shadow and I enter we see her instructing a group of young girls in the proper manner to knead bread dough. We stand back and watch for a few minutes before I speak up, "I never realized that baking was one of your talents Rosalie."

She looks up as she throws a hand full of flour on one girls wad. "There are quite a few things about me that you haven't noticed over the years Seeker. Baking is just one of them." She wipes her hands off on her apron as she turns back to the girls, "Knead your dough for another five minutes then you can set it to rise. After that you can go have some fun until it's time to start baking."

As the girls all leave she turns to Shadow and I, "That was a rather impressive speech you gave earlier Seeker. So what are my two favorite wolves up to?" I motion and a set of stools for us to sit down as I start, "Actually we were wanting to talk to you. What have you heard about our fight yesterday after Shadow and I saw you in the village?" She sits down on one of the stools as Shadow and I take two others.

"Well from what I have picked up you got in a one on one with that Harandoom fellow, Shadow was injured rather badly, and some how you healed him. No one has been all that clear on the details of how, but I have a theory about it." I raise an eyebrow, "I would be interested in your theory Rosalie. Mind sharing it?"

She looks between Shadow and me before speaking, "Well you once told me about how a guardian could give up their immortality to save someone who is close to death. So I am guessing that you gave up yours to save Shadow." Shadow and I look at each other and share a grin as I say, "Not exactly, I am still very much immortal. At least as much as I have always been."

She looks at us with a rather confused look, "Then how did you save his life, as far as I know you don't have any healing powers. Or has that changed and someone hasn't told me?" I make a slight grimace as I try and figure out the best way to tell her, "Not exactly, no... uhm, maybe it's easier to show you instead." I nod at Shadow who holds out his right arm so that Rosalie can see the red sword tattoo that is now on his wrist.

Rosalie looks at the tattoo for a long moment before realization dawns on her. When it does her eyes go wide, her jaw drops, and she begins looking back and forth between the two of us. Her mouth opens and closes several times but no sounds come out. I can't help but let out a small chuckle, "I do think that this is the first time that I have ever seen you speechless."

She looks down at Shadows tattoo then back at me and in a voice just above a whisper, "You made him a guardian?" I just nod. "But how, you told me once that it took four masters to make a guardian. How did you do it by yourself? How many others know? How long do you plan to keep it quite?" Then she has a sudden thought that I can see in her eyes, "This has something to do with your new trident doesn't it? The one you had out there during your speech."

I nod, "Yes, my new trident shows to the world that I am now a water guardian master. I became one during the fight yesterday when I saw Shadow get hurt. Right now you are the only one besides the two of us that knows about Shadow and what we are fixing to tell you. As for keeping it quite we doubt that it would stay quite long once someone sees his tattoo and puts it together like you did. But perhaps we should tell you the full story about how this happened."

For the next several minutes Shadow and I take turns telling Rosalie all about the ring, how it was made in Atlantis by my father and three other masters, the power it gave me to turn Shadow into a guardian, and more details regarding the fight I had with Harandoom. When we have finished telling our story the wads of dough left by the girls have risen to twice their size and Rosalie has a stunned look on her face.

"So after I healed Shadow we came back here. You know what's been happening since." I finish talking at look at Rosalie who has slumped back on the stool and is leaning against the wall behind her. "That is one of the most out there stories I have ever heard. If the proof wasn't sitting right in front of me I would say you are crazy. Magic rings made thousands of years ago, dead men living inside of it. It all seems crazy."

I can't help but laugh, "Yeah, it is a bit hard to believe, and we have been living it. But we have saved the best part for last." Her eyebrows shoot up, "You mean there is more?" Nodding I continue, "Yeah. Starting this morning when I have touched certain people I have seen an aura around them and for a couple of those people there has even been a tingling sensation in my tattoo. Around Rick I saw a green aura. Around Alpha Steel I saw a faint white aura. Even around you I saw a blue aura."

She looks at me thinking, "Green, white, blue... Aren't those the colors of the different classes of guardians?" I nod as Shadow speaks up, "They are. I have a theory about why Seeker is seeing them and he agrees with me. We think that the auras are telling him..." Rosalie interrupts him with a slightly smug look on her face, "That they are telling him who is either ready to be a guardian or someday may be able to become one."

Shadow and I just wait a moment as the smug look on her face drains away and is replaced with another stunned look. Her voice eventually catches up her mind as she speaks again, "You mean I am able to be a guardian?" I slowly nod as I answer, "If we are right, then yes you are able to be one. If I can figure out how to do it again Shadow had the idea that we give you the first option to become a guardian. If you wanted to that is."

She thinks about it for a moment, "Besides the fact that I am one of your closest friends Seeker, why else would you offer this to me first over Rick? He is a member of your pack after all." Shadow and I both shift in our chairs a bit as he answers, "Well I thought that when it got out that I was a new guardian that the villagers would get a bit suspicious, especially with Alpha Steel and his pack here. After all that would make the only two living guardians in the world wolves. I thought that they might see that as wolves gaining an advantage over them, even more than we already have."

She looks at Shadow with a calculating gaze, "That's a bit politically minded of you." Shadow shrugs, "With a father like Harandoom I had to learn how to navigate a political minefield and not get blown up. Course I obviously wasn't all that successful, yesterday proved that." She nods, "It does make sense, and before yesterday I would have thought it wouldn't have mattered. But the trust of the villagers has been shaken badly. Rockley is a perfect example of that."

I must have gotten a down cast look because she put a hand on my paw, "It's not your fault Seeker, and the village will remember in time what you have done for us and how you and your pack has protected us all these years. I am honored that you would ask me. But don't you think I'm a little old to become a guardian?"

That brings a grin to my face, "A little old? Look who you're talking to, I'm over three thousand years old remember." She scowls at me humorously, "You know good an well what I am talking about Seeker. I'm an old woman now, surely that would have some impact on me becoming a guardian." I let out a small laugh, "Actually age never really had an impact on people becoming guardians Rosalie. I was actually one of the youngest in my training group. There were even some guardians who were nearly a hundred years old before they became worthy of it. Granted that age was a bit rare but it just means that it doesn't matter how old you are now. What matters now is that you are worthy of it, if you choose to accept it that is."

She sits back and thinks for a moment, "Would there be any major changes? I noticed that Shadow has gotten taller. If I gain a couple feet in height I will need a whole new wardrobe, and I have some dresses I am rather fond of." I just shake my head as I smile, "The effects are different for wolves than humans we get taller and a little bulkier. Humans stay about the same size only becoming more physically fit and agile. Both however do reach the peak of their physical abilities and stay there. That's why I don't look to have aged past twenty-five. When you become a guardian you will actually get physically younger."

At that comment her eyebrows shoot up, "I would get younger? No more aches and pains, being able to bend over without something popping and cracking. You are making it awful hard to say no." I scratch an ear, "Well there would be the little side effect of being immortal and having to put up with the two of us for the next eternity or so." That makes her burst out laughing.

After she calms down and wipes a tear from her eye she continues, "Well there are a lot worse people to spend eternity with. I think I can handle that." She takes a deep breath as she thinks, "Alright, I accept. But I would like for it to be a bit of public display. We would need the villagers to see the change happen. If I just up and disappeared and a younger women claimed to be me that would make them more suspicious than anything don't you think?"

Shadow and I both nod. Then she asks, "So when will we do this?" I look at Shadow then back at her, "As soon as I know how I did it for Shadow. Then I was acting on instinct and had the help of my dad from in the ring. As soon as I know how I don't see any reason to wait." She nods, "Well as soon as you get it figured out let me know. Until then I have some cooking to do, so unless you two want put on kitchen duty you should get going." With that she pops a dish towel at us she picked up off the counter.

Once Shadow and I are safely out of the kitchen I turn to him with a smile, "That is the first time I have ever been kicked out of my own kitchen." He just laughs as we both head back towards the library.

We don't make it five steps out of the kitchen before Tabatha comes running up. "Seeker, there you are. I have been looking all over for you. I think we have a problem." My good mood drains out of me with those words. I let out a huff as I ask, "What kind of problem do we have now?" She chews on her lower lip before answering, "One of the villagers has gotten sick from... well you just have to see it. This way."

She leads me to her and Eve's room. Inside there's an older woman wiping the brow of a young man who is lying on the bed sweating profusely. His eyes are closed and he is moving around roughly as though in considerable pain. His symptoms could be from a number of different diseases I have seen over the years. But given the recent events of the past couple days I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

I sit down on the side of the bed and feel the man's fore head. It is burning up. I look to the old woman and ask, "What's his name?" She answers, "His name is Marcus, Marcus Reaver. He is my nephew, his parents died when he was a teenager. He has been in my care since." I look up at Tabatha, "Do we know what's wrong with him?" She nods and pulls down the covers that are pulled up to his neck. As soon as his shoulder is uncovered the bottom of my stomach falls out and I am filled with dread.

There on his shoulder is the thing I feared most, a bite. It's not just any bite though, it's a bite from a werewolf. My day has just gotten a whole lot worse.