her eyes tightly together against a sudden
torrent of tears, she sucked in a shuddering breath. They weren't going to make
it. Prince was going to die.
Just like Cain had died.
She gritted her teeth suddenly. "No."
Looking over at Garen she shook her head. "No, I won't let him die. There
has to be a way."
Garen rested his head on his paws. He needs power. That
is the only way. Elves are bound to their land. They need its magic to survive.
She thought a moment. The slavers took his amulet.
He has been too long without it. Too long from home.
She stared down at Prince. Garen's words made sense, but
didn't really help. Where was she supposed to find power? "Elven power?"
I imagine any would do at this point.
"Where do I get some?"
Garen snorted and raised his head off of his paws. It's
not as easy as that. It's not like any of us can simply give it to him. With
the Fey and the Were, we don't practice magic, it is part of us.
"You're not really helping," she complained.
He sighed. If he was part of a pack, he could draw
some small power from it. How the Fey might share power, I don't know.
Frustration started to overwhelm her. They weren't Were,
they weren't a pack, so a packs’ power would not help. She looked over to Kei. "Kei,
is there any way you can share power with Prince?"
He looked up from collecting wood and shook his head. "No.
Not that I know of." He grimaced at his words, reminding her he didn't
know all of his heritage. His parents had taken him across the sea when he was
little. They had died when he was ten. She imagined it frustrated him as much
as it did her.
"What about…" She looked at him knowingly.
He had done some sort of magic with her, a fey binding which bound them
together as friends and later again as family.
Kei shook his head. "He would never agree."
She grimaced. "True."
"It is not an exchange of power either."
Also true. Holding Prince to her, she struggled to
think, to come up with anything at all.
"So," she said finally, raising her head to
look at Garen. "A pack. Does it only work with Were?"
He stared at her. I would assume so. He paused
and cocked his head to the side. I don't know.
She nodded once, determination suddenly filling her. "Boys!
Come here!"
What are you doing?
She didn't answer him, waiting for Bo and Kei to come
over. When they did she looked up at Bo. "Take Prince. We'll do this by
the fire."
"Do what?" Kei looked at her questioningly,
moving forward to help her up once Bo had easily picked up Prince’s limp form.
She raised a finger. "I've an impulsive and
insane plan!"
He rolled his eyes and helped her over to the fire. She
sat again and beckoned for Bo to pass Prince back to her. She held him to her
again, his head against her chest. "Sit close, everyone. You, too, Garen."
They sat around her and she let out a deep breath,
sorting out her thoughts. "Prince is fading away. Dying. The only thing
which will help him is power. I don't know how to get any for him." She
looked at each of them solemnly. "We are already friends, a family. I want
to try to make us a pack. Like the Were are. Garen says packs have power. Maybe
it will help."
Bo shrugged. "If it will work."
Kei frowned and shook his head. "I don’t like this."
"But–"
"Magic is dangerous, Aro."
"I know that!"
"No. You don’t."
She pressed her lips together tightly to keep from
screaming as she glared at Kei. Fine, she didn’t know anything about magic. But
he didn’t know everything either.
"It might work," she said quietly. "We
just lost Cain. I-I can’t…" A sob caught in her throat and she shook her
head violently, hugging Prince tightly to her. "I can’t lose him, too. I
just can’t!"
Kei wilted under her emotional plea and looked away.
His face looked haunted, defeated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Please. Please let me try," she whispered
desperately.
He looked back at her, his golden eyes staring into
hers for what seemed like forever. Finally he
torrent of tears, she sucked in a shuddering breath. They weren't going to make
it. Prince was going to die.
Just like Cain had died.
She gritted her teeth suddenly. "No."
Looking over at Garen she shook her head. "No, I won't let him die. There
has to be a way."
Garen rested his head on his paws. He needs power. That
is the only way. Elves are bound to their land. They need its magic to survive.
She thought a moment. The slavers took his amulet.
He has been too long without it. Too long from home.
She stared down at Prince. Garen's words made sense, but
didn't really help. Where was she supposed to find power? "Elven power?"
I imagine any would do at this point.
"Where do I get some?"
Garen snorted and raised his head off of his paws. It's
not as easy as that. It's not like any of us can simply give it to him. With
the Fey and the Were, we don't practice magic, it is part of us.
"You're not really helping," she complained.
He sighed. If he was part of a pack, he could draw
some small power from it. How the Fey might share power, I don't know.
Frustration started to overwhelm her. They weren't Were,
they weren't a pack, so a packs’ power would not help. She looked over to Kei. "Kei,
is there any way you can share power with Prince?"
He looked up from collecting wood and shook his head. "No.
Not that I know of." He grimaced at his words, reminding her he didn't
know all of his heritage. His parents had taken him across the sea when he was
little. They had died when he was ten. She imagined it frustrated him as much
as it did her.
"What about…" She looked at him knowingly.
He had done some sort of magic with her, a fey binding which bound them
together as friends and later again as family.
Kei shook his head. "He would never agree."
She grimaced. "True."
"It is not an exchange of power either."
Also true. Holding Prince to her, she struggled to
think, to come up with anything at all.
"So," she said finally, raising her head to
look at Garen. "A pack. Does it only work with Were?"
He stared at her. I would assume so. He paused
and cocked his head to the side. I don't know.
She nodded once, determination suddenly filling her. "Boys!
Come here!"
What are you doing?
She didn't answer him, waiting for Bo and Kei to come
over. When they did she looked up at Bo. "Take Prince. We'll do this by
the fire."
"Do what?" Kei looked at her questioningly,
moving forward to help her up once Bo had easily picked up Prince’s limp form.
She raised a finger. "I've an impulsive and
insane plan!"
He rolled his eyes and helped her over to the fire. She
sat again and beckoned for Bo to pass Prince back to her. She held him to her
again, his head against her chest. "Sit close, everyone. You, too, Garen."
They sat around her and she let out a deep breath,
sorting out her thoughts. "Prince is fading away. Dying. The only thing
which will help him is power. I don't know how to get any for him." She
looked at each of them solemnly. "We are already friends, a family. I want
to try to make us a pack. Like the Were are. Garen says packs have power. Maybe
it will help."
Bo shrugged. "If it will work."
Kei frowned and shook his head. "I don’t like this."
"But–"
"Magic is dangerous, Aro."
"I know that!"
"No. You don’t."
She pressed her lips together tightly to keep from
screaming as she glared at Kei. Fine, she didn’t know anything about magic. But
he didn’t know everything either.
"It might work," she said quietly. "We
just lost Cain. I-I can’t…" A sob caught in her throat and she shook her
head violently, hugging Prince tightly to her. "I can’t lose him, too. I
just can’t!"
Kei wilted under her emotional plea and looked away.
His face looked haunted, defeated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Please. Please let me try," she whispered
desperately.
He looked back at her, his golden eyes staring into
hers for what seemed like forever. Finally he
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