Sino looked around at the others, who avoided eye contact with him.

“What use is this? You blindly follow, and for what? Banishment?” He wanted to say. He didn’t. Instead, he looked down at the whisps of thin purple curls peeking out of the beige material. The tiny hand still grasped his long tresses. Instantly he understood; he didn’t want nor need the council’s advice. He should have gone straight to Mags.

Her structure was near the edge of the camp. The female ware sat at the center of the room with her long legs crossed as she weaved plants into tools like twine or containers to hold things. Next to her, to the right, a broken statue and small pieces were laid out in front. That was very much like Magdalene; she always worked on several projects at once.

“I see you are putting my weaving lessons to a unique use Sino.” Her voice smiled with her smokey brown eyes as they flicked up to see him when he entered.

“Why are you trying to fix that thing?” He asked.

She shrugged. “It has sentimental value. My mom gave it to me, and her mom gave it to her. When I have my first born she-wolf, she shall also be gifted its watchful eye. After two cycles, I’m down to these few shards and those pebbles.”

Outside, the six wares paced angrily; Sino wasn’t leaving as ordered. They were hesitant to enter Mags’ structure without her permission, and she was actively sending a do not trespass mindslink.

He smiled warmly, a rarity reserved for a select few. Mags waited for him to speak as she always did. She was highly respected in their pack almost as much as the counsel but known for her rebellious streak- a trait which endeared her to him.

“I am banished.”

“So I heard.”

“Why?”

She stopped weaving and nodded towards the babe strapped to the ware. “They fear what they do not know.”

“What benefit is there to sticking one’s head in the mud?” He asked astutely.

She paused for a moment choosing her words carefully. “You, of all wares, know that not everything is black and purple or light and darkness. There are always shadows. Fae Land is full of colors and hidden dangers.” He watched as she twisted her lips to the left as she tucked the next leaflet into the twine. It slid in, and she continued. “Do you have any thoughts of what it could be?”

He frowned and placed a hand across his chest. “Does it matter? It’s an infant.”

“A child becomes an elder. You know nothing of its magick. That could destroy all of Fae, and you want to what- treat it as if it were your own pup?”

“No. I…” He paused. Perhaps her words were too close for comfort. He didn’t really know why he felt so sure he should help it. “I was going to return it to its kind.”

“And what if its kind is dangerous for it? Would you leave it to the Fates?” She asked.

“It was left with me for a reason.”

She nodded. “Hence the apprehension of the counsel. Why would it be left with you of all wolves, and secondly, why a wolf at all?” She stopped weaving and looked into his eyes as if trying to assess his very soul. “Wouldn’t a druid or house goblin make a better choice of Fae? Goddess knows even a human would be a better choice, and they have one at the Lore Estate whose job is to be Guardian of Fae Land.”

He didn’t respond. Mags was correct. Sino was a crappy choice. He wondered the same notion. His eyes drifted from hers to the tiny infant. Its pudgy hand grasped his black tendrils tightly. It pushed calmness and candor.

She sighed. “You aren’t thinking what I think you are, are you?” Her voice sounded pained.

“And if I was,” He asked.

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Without skipping a moment, “You would be a fool. You should drop it at the Lore Estate and let the Fae Council or the human decide what to do with it.”

He should, but then another thought came to him. “And yet this is the same council that closed the In-between recently. It keeps us here so we can’t deal with the cause of the The Atrocities.”

“In your case, both councils were correct. Their actions benefit the Fae, not your vendetta.” He winced at her choice of words. She continued, “Additionally, they need time to pick a new Fa’ representative. Murmurs of a bigger war are on the brink with an unknown enemy, and the Fae Council is down a member. They cannot be at full strength until one is chosen. Plus, how do you know the answers you seek are not here on Faeland?”

He curled his lip in irritation. Mags knew he spent his first two cycles on Fae Land seeking answers from the various packs. It wasn’t unusual for a werewolf from Earth to visit each one to determine which pack would be the best fit. He also used it as an excuse to learn as much about the Atrocities as he could. In the end, he wound up with several invitations to join the packs and their beds, but very little on the actual murder of Earth-bound packs.

“At least consider going to the Estate; they have access to knowledge no other Fae does. You may be able to determine what that creature is and why it was left with you. Maybe even get additional answers you have been seeking since you arrived.”

“I’ll consider it.” He already had, but he said it to comfort her. The Fae Council wasn’t his interest, but their library was.

She sighed again. Grabbing another piece of plant, the form of a bowl came into being as she pulled the threads tightly at the rim. “Be careful.” Her voice had hints of sadness to it. “Whether you believe it or not, you are an essential member of this pack. We need your abilities as an expert sentry and your companionship of which you are selfishly withholding.”

He furrowed his brows. “I hardly think that engaging in procreation or adding to the populous is the best use of my abilities and skills.”

Unexpectedly she laughed. “Companionship is not just about procreation. Our species is built on family. We support each other. We learn from every ware we meet. It isn’t about using each other for one’s benefit. We all take a portion of the workload, so no one werewolf has to carry the burden alone.”

“Is that why the council banished me? To help me?” His voice didn’t hide his irritation at her nativity.

“I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ll let you in on a secret that no one pays attention to. It's so obvious, but they pretend it’s a problem that doesn’t exist. Our pack numbers aren’t increasing. They hide the announcement with other news, but we haven’t had a live birth since we moved from Earth. The council is working on keeping it quiet as to not start a panic, but this is a real threat to our species. Keep that in mind when you travel about with that creature; then come back and tell me what the best use of your time is.” She didn’t say it, but since he had a child on Earth, they hoped he could continue here on Fae. It was the main reason he had so many offers that he always declined. “Soon, the council will be announcing a large Bramian Celebration. All wolves, rogue or not, will be required to attend. The hope is that they can information dump other news from having all packs together once again. The hope is that potential mates will have an opportunity to find each other just before the moon goddess blesses us with extra fertility during a rare Bramian eclipse. I trust we will need your skills in case someone decides to interrupt the celebration.”

“Have you seen anything like it?” Sino asked, breaking the silence that followed.

She shook her head. “It isn’t human. It also has more magick in its pinky than all the elders combined. You are navigating a dangerous trail. As I said, be careful. If I could ask you to look into one thing for me, please look into our origins. I have a hunch that it may be connected to the Atrocities. Everything is connected.” She repeated and then went back to her weaving.

“Thanks, Mags.” He nodded and slightly bowed his head in respect, something he did for no one else. She didn’t acknowledge it because, at that moment, a moose of a ware’s emotions pummeled towards them. No doubt all of the pack felt it. Jealousy. Anger. Hate.

Sino smiled and slipped out, leaving her to deal with her companions. He walked the short distance to the edge of the camp. The six werewolves kept the charging companions at bay since Sino was heading in the right direction. If they could avoid a fight with the crazy lone wolf banished by the council, they would, and Sino counted on that so he could pop into the supply hut one more time. He needed to be prepared. His thoughts scattered from Mag’s speculation and the council, then back to the small magickal being strapped to his chest.

Sino filled a satchel at the supply hut some plants the child could suck on for nourishment. He also grabbed a small knife that he strapped to his calf near his bare ankle. If he was going to travel in this form, he needed protection. He also grabbed an elegantly carved walking staff. It was a bit taller than him, and lines of copper corkscrewed down the shaft. The top had a grey wolf wrapped in feathered beast's wings like it was being hugged but somehow stable so that the top didn’t change the center of balance. He spun it around quickly as if it were an extension of his arm. It would suffice.

Exiting the supply camp, he immediately noticed the six wolves' presence. His inner wolf wanted to growl and get them to back off, but he knew that wouldn’t be useful. He walked further from the camp. As soon as he was outside the temporary boundary, the trail itself started to crumble. He could look back, but all he would see if forest. His banishment had begun.