Chapter 9
Gabal was content to feed Aoifa more jerky as they passed the borders of her garden. Samuel led the way from the front, chatting enthusiastically about the pack and its progression over the last few decades. Ansel, the faithful Shadow, took up the rear, silent and alert. Aoifa struggled to focus on anything other than the wilderness around her, enchanted by the new foliage and wildlife. Black bodied squirrels with silver tails chatted loudly in the canopy above. Small brown, tailless rodents scrounged in the foliage below. A hawk circled them, letting out a sharp cry before moving out of sight.
It was hard to tell for sure, due to the thick covering of interwoven branches and leaves, but she guessed they were in a valley, nestled between towering mountains. The weather was mild, despite it being mid summer. A quiet breeze blew through the leaves, gentle and warm. The wind swept the scent of pine needles, burning fir, and cooking food to her nose. She knew they must be getting close to the pack's center.
Traditionally, a pack would cover a large swath of land, but very little of it would be developed. Smaller portions would be reserved for housing, agriculture, training, and similar necessary establishments. In larger packs, there would even be something similar to downtown areas where pack owned and operated shops would allow for more human convenience. But, Aoifa thought as the party of four broke through the treeline and she could gaze upon Gabal's home in all its glory, this was nothing like the packs she had known.
She used the term "breaking through the treeline" very loosely. Everywhere she looked, the same soaring, thick trees rose from the soil and mingled with buildings that looked like they had sprouted from the ground themselves. The houses seemed to be a mix of double and single story, arranged neatly at the end of well managed, wide dirt paths. Short fences would be seen surrounding some of them, all made from natural wooden posts, some still sporting bark. The colors of the structures were a wide variety of natural colors that fit right into the landscape. Most seemed to be made of wooden logs and clay, and several seemed to have storefronts built into the first floors. Seating and tables occupied much of the space around the structures. They bustled with life, the air solemn but still alive, almost defiant in nature. Far be it from them to cow down to this invisible foe, to let such a thing rule their life. Children could be seen running between tables, catching the attention of whomever they dared before darting away with squeals and giggles, leaving kind smiles in their wake. Teens gathered in groups, displaying feats of strength and strategy amongst themselves while being cheered on by their peers. It was the families that held the most tables. Happy couples with children, elderly folk whispering sweet nothings, men and women going about their day, filtering in and out of busy shops.
And the more Aoifa observed, the more she saw the cracks in the facade put forward by these people. She saw what was absent, what was starved, and what was festering.
The more Aoifa looked, really looked, at these people the more she noticed members of family units missing. It was hard to catch at first, but then, it was hard for the living to hide much from her. Their bodies angled toward the empty spaces at their tables, the frequent glances there, the weight on their shoulders and under their eyes, the emptiness in their smile. She saw it all.
Gone was the easy way she had seen packs touch one another. It was common knowledge that the animals thrived off of contact with one another, the comfort and security of being surrounded by ones that had your back. This was reaffirmed often through physical contact. But here everyone seemed to be avoiding those outside of their personal circles. They gave each other a wide berth and she could see many catch themselves in the habitual act. The hunch in their posture and the desperate hunger in their eyes.
And worst of all was what Aoifa could see under the surface, the things that were not felt through blood and skin and bone.
There was anger in these people, a deep, brewing, malicious force that they had pushed deep. They breathed with repressed emotion. Rage for those that laid abed, rage for the time lost, rage for all the promised relief with no results. And yet, for the sake of those around them, they shoved it down, doing what they could to never let it break the surface. Like an open wound to their souls, it grew more and more rotten every day. Something needed to be done to flush it out, to cut away the dead flesh and let them heal.
Many turned to look their way as the entourage of dominance passed them. Their eyes drawn first to Gabal, displaying endearing amounts of admiration, pride, and a general care for his well being. Next was Samuel, the assessment the same, though markedly shorter than the Alpha's. But what they felt about Ansel was truly interesting to Aoifa. Their eyes glanced over the Shadow and their faces could barely contain the disgust, the anger, they held for him. They could not focus on him for more than a few seconds, overwhelmed with their emotions and not wanting to give themselves away.
Aoifa was broken from her observations when a scream split through the quiet. Her head whipped toward the sound, body in motion before she could think about moving. It was one of the pups, her teary face scrunched in pain as she tried to get breath to her lungs around choking pain. Her leg was bent in a place that should not bend, and with a decorative border of rocks near… It did not take Aoifa long to understand what had happened.
When she reached the girl she immediately placed a hand on her head, blocking out any pain and discomfort. Her shoulders slumped and her face slackened as she looked up in awe at the woman kneeling beside her.
"Hey, sweetness," said Aoifa, grinning brightly at the pup, letting her feel the calm confidence she exuded. "Did you take a tumble from those rocks?" Her voice was clear and steady, like she was making casual conversation instead of talking to a child with a broken limb. Aoifa received a nod, the girl too shy and unsure of this stranger to respond properly.
"Can I tell you a secret," Aoifa whispered loudly, knowing full well the shifters in the crowd could hear every word she was saying in the tense silence that had fallen after she, a stranger, had rushed a fallen pup. She knew the only reason no one interfered was Gabal.
That question seemed to do the trick, the little girl leaned forward conspiratorially and nodded vigorously. "Okay, don't tell anyone, but I can do magic. Do you want me to show you?"
"Yes, please," came her enthusiastic reply. Aoifa's heart melted, cute little deep brown curls, big golden brown eyes surrounded by lashes for miles, a dimple on her left cheek, and manners on top of all that? Goodness, Aoifa thought. Give her parents an award.
With a theatric wave of her hand, Aoifa grew a thick ring of flowers around the girl. While she was distracted by their soft petals and sweet smells, Aoifa also set and healed her leg.
When Gabal saw his Given remove her hand from little Chelsea's head, he knew that she was finished. He made his way over to them quickly. While he understood her urge to calm the pup down and give her some wonder, she had healed her without notice and the lesson she had learned from the pain she had brought upon herself could be lost in the flowers.
His steps were heavy as he approached, making himself known to them and letting the pup know he was unhappy. She sunk into herself a bit and tried to huddle to his Given for protection. Aoifa was confused at her sudden change until she turned to Gabal and saw his scowling eyes directed at the girl.
She was quick to slip away from the girl and retreat behind his hulking form. She did not understand where this was going, and was a bit nervous to leave the girl on her own against the Alpha but this was his pack. She would not intervene unless she felt it absolutely necessary.
"Chelsea," he began, his voice just a bit deeper than his normal gravelly rumble. His stare pinned the girl down and she shook under its intensity. The silence stretched, becoming more and more tense, until the girl finally broke it, spilling out her guilt in a rush.
"I'm sorry Alpha, I was playing on the big rocks and I fell off and my leg was wrong and I was crying and it hurt so much and it was so scary but a nice lady grew flowers and then I was better." Her hands clapped over her mouth as she finished, casting a guilty look to Aoifa, which the woman smiled away. Gabal was her Alpha, of course there would be no secrets between them.
"Your Luna will not always be there to help, stay off the rocks." Gabal's order was final and after getting a squeaked, yes Alpha, he turned his back to her, dismissing her entirely. Aoifa watched with amusement as the child joined back with the rest of her age group, each looking on and whispering in amazement at the magic show from their Luna and the scolding from their Alpha.
Aoifa was startled when a firm hand grasped her chin and turned her head to look up at Gabal. He was bent slightly over her, his stare just as intense.
"What did you promise," he asked her quietly. She looked up at him, completely confused. She went back over her actions and tried to think about what she had done wrong but came up blank. She slowly shook her head, looking guilty.
"I'm sorry, Gabal, but I don't know what you mean. Why are you mad?" His scowl grew deeper at her answer.
"You pushed yourself," he growled, angry that she would be so careless with her magic, that she would waste her already depleted resources on a careless, disobedient pup that would heal next week.
Her eyes fluttered in further confusion, looking away from his stare to the patch of flowers she grew. It dawned on her then that maybe he did not understand the effortlessness that came with healing a broken bone, or bringing flowers to bloom. If he thought that was pushing herself, he was in for a big surprise.
"Okay," she began with a smile. "I think we have some kind of misconception about my well to correct. What I just did was effortless on my part, it's not something that could drain me. I could fix a thousand broken legs as long as the bones wanted to be together again. I could make this whole valley bloom with flowers if I wanted to and not break a sweat, as long as the flowers wanted to grow. All living things have a will, a drive. Most of the time that will is to be healthy and whole. When that is the case, all I need to do is give it a little push and observe for any corrections. Simple.
"When I brought my cabin and my garden here, that was an entirely different scenario. I had been there for centuries, my plants did not want to leave, my cabin did not want to leave. Not to mention that magic is very nearly not my own. I control the living and dead, not time and space. What I did was bending the rules a bit, and that always takes it out of me. I promise I'm right as rain." To make her point, she asked the root of a tree to raise her up so she could kiss her Alpha's cheek and pull him in for a hug.
"I promise I'm a lot stronger than I look and that I will never leave you," she whispered for his ears only. The responding grip around her waist said more than words ever could.