It seemed like time flew by in the coming days. Ivy and I had spent much of it in the Luna’s Library, scouring records and documents for any bit of information we could find. That was a task in and of itself and produced little concrete information.
We had found a few mentions of confirmed traits and skills in the previous Crimson Wolves as well as mentions of potential Fae traits as well. We used the information we found and the bits and pieces that Ivy recalled from her time spent with my mother and the Fae that would come into the region to create a list of potential skills I, and even possibly Rian, could end up with.
I explained to Ivy about the change in my eyes the previous week and we had tried to keep a vigilant eye out for information on that particular oddity, but no luck. We sat down at one of the tables where we had been taking notes and organizing them.
“So we have a decent list after our days of hard work.” Ivy smiled at me as I rested my chin in my hand, worn out from the last few days of being up and down ladders, lugging books around and reading until the words blurred on the pages and papers.
More than once in the last five days I woke up in my room, sprawled across Tristan, with no memory of how I ended up there. Apparently I kept falling asleep with my nose in a book, literally sometimes.
“Yes and some of them overlap between the Fae and the Crimson Wolves. Though I would imagine that the control over them may differ as the Fae channel the elemental magics through themselves and other races tend to conjure and manipulate them externally.”
I was eyeing the list we had made as it sat on the table:
Crimson Wolves:
* Fire control
* Fire resistance
* Fire immunity
* Light Magic
* Shadow Magic
* Water Magic (Extremely rare, only one known person).
* Agility - Check
* Speed - Check
* Strength - Check
Fae:
* Elemental magics
* Fire
* Water
* Earth
* Air
* Shadow
* Light
* Nature
* Healing Magic
* Second Sight
* Glamour
* Lie Detecting
* Invisibility
* Flight (Winged Fae)
* Shapeshifting (non-glamour)
Clearly I would not be flying, as I had no wings and shapeshifting would have appeared long before I got Aramyth if that were a skill I had inherited from my mother’s genes.
“Hmph, invisibility would have been handy the last five years.” I mused, mostly to myself as memories of my past skittered through my thoughts.
“Perhaps, but would you have become as strong, determined and ready to lead if you hadn’t gone through all that?” Ivy commented passingly.
I knew she wasn’t expecting an answer, merely putting the thought out there for my mind to process and remind me that I am who I am because of what I had been through. I simply smiled at her.
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“I do suspect you have healing magic though. Even your scars are not nearly as bad as they should be given everything you went through. Your mother was very talented in healing and nature magic. I would be quite surprised if you didn’t inherit both of them from her.”
“That would help explain how I survived everything and why I enjoy the woods so much, even more than most wolves. I might have to find a space nearby to see what I can explore about myself.”
“Ask Tristan to show you the glade. It’s not far from here, it’s a sacred place to our pack. The energy found there is intense and abundant.”
“I shall, after Lucian’s visit is done. For now I have enough to worry about.”
“You still have a couple days, try to spend them relaxing and enjoying life while you can before our little song and dance with the enemy.” Ivy’s voice had a growl to it whenever she spoke of Lucian. She despised him as much as I did, perhaps more, for stealing me away from her after stealing my family from me and her best friend from her.
“I will if you will. No sense letting him get us all worked up, especially when he isn’t even here yet and we will be riled enough when he is here, I’m sure.”
She took a deep breath and smiled sweetly at me, “My dear Alyce, you are wise beyond your years, and absolutely correct. Come, let’s go find those men of ours. I believe we have scoured every shelf of this library that we can at this point. Time to relax and prepare for our little charade.”
“Want to help me pack Rian’s bags for his trip with Miss Maggie and Kiernan?”
“I would love to. Are you sure you want to send them away though?”
“Yes. Though it’s not so much that I want to as it is that I need to. If Lucian finds out about Rian, then he may figure out that it’s all a ploy. Or worse, he might use him against me or Tristan, or any number of the pack members. I need to know he is safe and remains unknown to Lucian.”
“I understand. I wish I could go with them. I feel bad sending him off without any of us.”
“Me too, but it’s for his safety. He will understand sooner rather than later if he doesn’t already. He is an extremely bright child.”
We were wandering through the halls at this point, leisurely heading for Rian’s room as we chatted. “That he is. You and Tristan will have your hands full with him as he gets older, or when you two decided to have more pups.”
I gave her a small smile, “One chaotic situation at a time. We need to deal with Lucian and get Silver Moon back before more pups are even an option.”
Rian, Tristan and Damien were off continuing to work on whatever mysterious project they had started the day of the burrito madness. They still wouldn’t tell me what they were doing. Ivy and I entered Rian’s room, it was completely set up and had been stocked with everything a 3 year old boy could need and plenty they could want. Rian was still staying with Miss Maggie at night, as his adoption wasn’t yet official and most importantly I felt he was safer there for the time being.
Ivy set to packing a bag of clothes for him, while I packed a bag of necessities. His favorite blanket number 1, he kept number 2 at Miss Maggie’s, and his stuffed triceratops. I packed his hygiene products and some extra shoes and play clothes. Rian could get messy. I knew Miss Maggie could have done all this as he had plenty of things at her house as well for now, but - a. I wanted to help make this trip preparation easier on her and b. I simply wanted to embrace my role as Rian’s mother and do this for him as well.
It felt odd to be sending him away. Like I didn’t trust my pack to protect him, but that was not at all the case. I didn’t trust Lucian not to try and make him some kind of pawn in his sick, twisted games. I simply wouldn’t risk it or allow it. My job as his mother was to protect him, no matter what. If that meant sending him off to visit Cedric’s pack, then so be it. Thankful Alpha Killian and Luna Morgan were happy to host Kiernan, Miss Maggie and Rian for as long as was needed.
“Are you alright Aly? You’re awfully quiet over there.” Ivy asked, zipping up the back she had just finished with.
“Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought. I’m ready for this all to be over. I dislike having to send my son away to protect him, when I should be able to do it myself.” I zipped the bag I was working on and lifted it onto my shoulder, taking the other one from Ivy as well.
“I understand, but you’re right to do so. This really is in his best interest this time.”
“I know.”
Ivy put her arm around my shoulder and we headed out to go meet everyone else on the front lawn. We were going to have a little family/inner circle picnic for lunch before Rian and the others left for Dark Forest.