Gwena&Glow

~I will just follow your lead in tracking Kantos until I get used to being wolf again.~ Gwena told her companion, using the language of the wolves. ~I am a bit rusty, so it might takea while. I have gotten too used to becoming a lynx for travel. I need to start practicing other animal shapes before I lose the ability to. I have really gotten lazy!~

Mistglow bumped her side with his head, eyes sparkling merrily. ~You look like a cat trying to be a wolf, you know,~ he replied, augmenting the gestures with his magical ability to speak to animals.

~Well, I'll forgive you, I guess.~ He gave a soft wuffle of wolvish laughter, then got back to business. ~We'll start out where I saw him last, then. How long has it been since you've practiced wolf?~

~Let's see, its spring now, so its been, oh, about 300 years, give or take a decade.~

~Ah, I see. That would certainly explain it. So tell me, how is it that you can change to more than one animal?~

~Certain animal spirits have become 'guides' I guess you could call them. Their spirits seem to exist within me and when I need them, they just seem to become me. It's very hard to explain. Some are stronger and more a part of me than others. Some seem to come only when I need them and some are always there for me.~

He nodded, more a human gesture than wolf. ~That's why there are so many spirits there. Is it twelve, or is my countoff?~

~Depends, some times more, some times less. Usually between ten and twelve most times.~ Gwena stopped and considered. ~Yes, twelve now. Wait, how do you know how many spirits there are?~

~Because I can sense them. Most werewolves can. I can talk to them, too. Those spirits inside you make you something like a living fetish, then. Interesting.~ He trotted along in silence for a while. ~How long have you known her?~

~A very long time. She saved my life and gave me back my sanity about 900 years ago, I think. Time seems to blend together after awhile. Seems as if she has always been a part of me. Strange to think I was over a millennium old before we met.~

He nodded again. ~Surely you have questions for the very first werewolf you've met?~

~Were you born a werewolf or become a werewolf later?~ She stopped to scratch behind one ear. ~Or is it like being immortal? Born to be immortal, but not becoming one until later, like after we die.~ She laughed with her eyes.

~I was born a human. About sixteen centuries ago, as humans count time now. I chose to become a werewolf.~

~How did you know to be able to choose? Did a werewolf just come along and invite you to become one?~

It was his turn to laugh, wolf fashion, again. ~I was born in a small village in the mountains. My Grandfather was a werewolf, and so was one of my sisters. Many of the villagers were. I grew up knowing about werewolves, and when I came of age, I decided Iwanted to be one. The elders of my village agreed, and I spent about three years training before my teacher performed the ritual to make me a werewolf.~

~It would be nice to choose. I had no choice. Born to be immortal, die as an immortal. So are werewolves immortal? Canyou be killed?~

~We don't get sick, can't be poisoned, and heal fast - although not as fast as your kind. We don't age, so I guess you'd call us immortal. Fire will kill us. Silver will kill us, if it's used correctly. Take our heads and we die as well as you. Just not as flashily.~

~Silver! Why didn't you say something?! Do I need to get rid of my silver? I don't want to hurt you!~

He brushed against her side comfortingly. ~Keep your silver. For the first three or four hundred years of our lives, silver burns us. After that, you have to get it into us in a way that would kill a mortal. I don't think you could hurt me with your jewelry. Just don't make me eat any of it!~

~It's hard to eat silver, so I think you are safe. That's a relief though, my jewelry isn't just decoration and losing it would mean losing some of my protections.~

~Mind if I take a look at them when we stop?~ He paused and sniffed at the ground. ~Ah, here's that pesky trail. That man even smells nasty. What would he want with the boy, anyway?~

~You are welcome to look at my jewelry. As long as you aren't trying to hurt me, its safe to handle them.~ She shook her head, this time, starting to pant a little at the pace he was setting. ~He wants to kill him before he can fulfill the prophecy. I don't have the 'sight' which Cassandra has, so I only know what she tells me of it. Did she tell you of the prophecy?~

~Some of it, yes. But it would seem to me he would either try to avoid the one who's fated to destroy him, or change himself so that he was no longer the target of the prophecy.~ He shook himself vigorously, and unobtrusively slowed his pace. ~It just confuses me. Guess he doesn't think much like me. So ask me something else. Tracking a scent this strong is boring.~

~You know, I've noticed you are very warm - to the touch I mean. Is that normal for a werewolf?~

~We're very warm, yes. About like a wolf at birth, and we get warmer as we get older. I've gotten about as hot as we get, though.~

~That's good. Too much warmer and it would become uncomfortable for someone to touch you.~ She dropped back a bit, caught by the short memory of him stepping nude out from behind the cottage. He was Cassandra's lover, after all - she shouldn't feel this strongly about him.

~He's headed for water.~ Mistglow said, ears pricking forward. ~If he crosses, it won't be a problem to pickup the trail on the far side. But if he stays in the water any length of time, it might take a while to find his trail again.~

Gwena suddenly stopped, frozen in her tracks. When Mistglow noticed and turned around, she said ~I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. Proves I am really out of practice thinking in any animal terms but lynx!~

~I can find Kantos from the air so we could pinpoint his location quickly and precisely. The fact I didn't think of it sooner...~ Gwena trailed off, disgusted with herself.

Mistglow hit her full force in the side, bowling her off of her feet. ~You are amazing! By all means, change into a bird if you can.~ He stepped back to let her up.

~If I can? Is that doubt I hear?~ She picked herself up and shook dust from her fur. ~It's starting to get dark, so it will have to be a night hunter...okay, owl it is. I can't just change from wolf to owl though. I can only change from animal to human and back.~ She caught him grinning at her. ~Don't think I can't be an owl just because I change back to human first.~ The haughtiness came across even through the magic.

Mistglow gave her a big wolf grin and settled to the ground to watch. Gwena closed her eyes. A shimmering mist formed, with vague things moving in it. When it cleared, Gwena stood in human form once more. But only for a moment before dropping exhausted to the ground. Mistglow was at her side in a heartbeat.

"Uh, oh, I forgot to eat," she moaned, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Cass even reminded me. I have to eat and rest for a bit before I can change again. I am sorry, 'Glow."

Mistglow let her use him for leverage as she moved around to a more comfortable position. Then he stood before her, shifting his weight from side to side in agitation.

"I can understand you if you talk to me like we were doing, you know," she told him.

~Good. I wasn't sure.~ He looked around, sniffing the air, then turned his attention back to her. ~This is as nice a place as any to rest, anyway. Rabbit sound good for dinner?~

~I'll hunt then.~ He tilted his head, regarding her closely. ~Think you can get a fire going while I'm gone?~

"I'm not that fragile, 'Glow!" She leaned forward and gave him a shove on the shoulder.

He jumped back, and then pounced from a crouch, landing firmly across her legs. ~I'm glad.~ He licked her chin. ~I've been human long enough to remember that raw meat is just not that tasty to the human palate.~

She pushed his muzzle away, and suddenly aware that this was not a wolf lounging on her lap, pushed him away as well.

~I'm going, I'm going,~ Mistglow protested. ~I promise not to be gone long. Yell if you need me.~

Mistglow returned with a rabbit just about the time the fire was burning down to coals. He dropped it, headless, at her feet and took off again to find his own dinner. The sun was well down and the moon rising before he returned with another rabbit.

Gwena had managed to skin and spit the first rabbit and it was almost ready. It had taken her a while to do everything; she had to keep stopping to rest.

~You look better,~ he told her. ~I hope that means you feel better, too. I guess shapechanging takes a lot of personal energy, done your way.~

"It's the changing that takes the most energy. I can stay in any form for weeks and not have a problem. Too many changes in too short a time is the problem."

~So, in the morning, you pick a bird form and stick to it. We both need to be in good shape to find him before the full moon.~

"Why, what happens at full moon?" Gwena looked at Glow with a puzzled expression.

Glow closed his eyes and shuddered. ~Madness.~ He looked up to her again - pain filled his eyes. ~I'll need to be far away from you and her before the moon rises full.~

"Isn't there any way to fight the madness? Surely, if we worked together Cassandra and I could come up with something."

~I won't take that chance. I'm too old to restrain easily.~ He shook his head sadly. ~Maybe, if we find someplace I think will hold me, we can try. But we have to take care of him, first.~

"True, now is not the time to experiment. When you need to leave, I will understand. I can still track him. I will just be extra careful not to be seen or caught."

~Hopefully, she'll be able to join us before I have to leave. But if not, you will have to be careful. He's dangerous.~ Glow shook himself again. ~So, you were going to let me look at your amulets.~

"The triskele. The triple spiral. Three is the sacred number and correlates to all sacred stages. The three stages of existence; birth, death and rebirth. I often wondered if they were speaking of immortals. Maybe someone saw an immortal reborn and thought he or she was sacred. Anyway, it also represents the Triple Goddess, the Morrigan. And the three levels of the underworld. Everything sacred to the people of my childhood came in threes. Would you like to hold it?"

~Yes, I would, if you don't mind wolf saliva all over it.~ He opened his mouth. ~Threes are sacred to my people, too. We see life as having three forms; body, mind and spirit. And I've noticed that many sacred teachings spring from us immortal beings.~

Gwena took the pendant from around her neck and handed it to Glow. He gently held it in his mouth.

~That is the center of it all.~ Glow gave the pendant back to Gwena. ~Put it back on.~ He stood up to be able to sniff among her other jewelry.

His nose tickled her ankle. ~This one has a spirit - don't like getting lost, do you?~

"You're right. I hate to be lost. It also helps me find things, like water, stones, herbs. Which can be very helpful."

"I keep the spirit happy by singing!" she laughed, only partly at his tickling whiskers.

Gwena sang some soft songs from her childhood. Glow stretched out beside her. Before the second rabbit had finished cooking, he was asleep.

When Gwena woke, she found herself curled beside the wolf, who was awake and watching her.

"No, I don't sleep very long anyway. I tend to 'cat nap' mostly." She sat up and stretched. "Are you ready to go now?"

"You're right. Will you be following me on the ground or do you want to wait here and have me come back when I have found Kantos?"

~Best if I wait here, so I don't lose you in the dark, or have to backtrack. You scout, then I'll follow. Then when you get tired, you can rest and catch up with me later. That way we can maybe catch up withhim and keep up.~

Between bites, Gwena said, "It shouldn't take me long to find him. He didn't have that much of a head start and he'll be sleeping right now."

Glow nodded. Gwena finished the rabbit and then changed to owl form, flying off into the night.

For a few weeks they tracked Kantos, staying out of his sight but always on his trail. Then one afternoon while Gwena was dressing a deer that Glow had brought down, he told her it was time for him to leave.

"I figured it would be today. Full moon is only three days away. Cassandra told me this morning when we talked that she was on her way and should be here tomorrow at the latest. I think I can take care of myself for a day. You both treat me like I'm helpless. I just spent nearly a decade in Eire all by myself!" Gwena laughed.

"I will be very careful. I don't want to tangle with Kantos. I don't want to even get close to him. His energy is nasty to even be around." Gwena grimaced.

~It's all that hatred.~ Glow hesitated a moment longer. Then he gave her a quiet "wuff" and took off full speed toward the nearby hills.

Gwena went back to dressing out the deer, trying not to think about the next week and already missing Glow. She was glad Cassandra was coming,but felt guilty about how close she and Glow had become. He refused to come out of wolf form, and she had been using different animal forms, but she could still feel the attraction between them growing. What was she going to do? She applied herself to smoking some meat, hoping keeping herself busy would help.

Later that evening, having worked determinedly all day to have the camp ready for Cassandra's arrival, Gwena found herself at loose ends. After pacing and rechecking everything for the third time, Gwena decided to change into owl form to check on Kantos one more time before going to sleep.

Gwena took wing and began to head toward Kantos' camp. As she flew, she heard a wolf howl, and she had to fight with herself not to followthe sound. Knowing that Glow was many miles away made her agitated.

Upon reaching her goal, she settled herself on a branch to watch. She was a bit puzzled by his movements at first. He kept muttering to himself while pacing distractedly, at one point nearly walking right into his campfire. Gwena wondered if he had finally snapped. Suddenly, Kantos skidded to a halt and looked around suspiciously. As his eyes lit on the owl calmly watching him, he began to mutter again.

Gwena began to be alarmed that all the gestures and words might be a spell of some sort. She hesitated, wondering if coming here without any kind of backup had been the right thing. Then Kantos started off in another direction, still talking to himself. Gwena decided it was time to leave. Taking wing, she flew back to camp. When she reached the camp, Cassandra was just riding in. Gwena wouldn't admit it even to herself, but she had been a little unnerved by Kantos' strange behavior and was really glad to see her sister.

"Cassandra, I didn't think you were coming until morning," Gwena said as soon as she had changed forms. "You shouldn't be riding after dark."

"I thought you were close, and I knew you'd be alone, so I made sometime." She swung down off the tired horse. "Besides, I wasn't riding fast, or anything."

Gwena moved to help Cassandra with the horse. In no time, the horse was cooled off, rubbed down and fed. The two women spread blankets beside the fire.

Gwena hesitated. She knew the main reason for her restlessness and agitation was her feelings for Glow, but she wasn't ready to admit them to her soulfriend.

Instead she said, "I saw Kantos tonight and he was acting very strangely. I wasn't sure what to make of it."

"Yes! And he almost fell into the fire! I thought maybe he'd lost contact with reality. It didn't look like any ritual with which I am familiar."

"I thought I felt something stirring the aether." Cassandra settledinto her blankets. "Was he still doing it when you left?"

"Yes, he was. What was he doing, if I may ask?" Gwena was restlessly trying to get comfortable in her own bedroll.

"I have no idea." Cassandra yawned hugely. "We probably never will know, unless we get some unseasonable weather or he suddenly turns around and heads back towards the MacLeods."

Gwena sighed, and wondered if Glow was alright, but Cassandra didn't seem worried. Why can't I get over this? I can't hurt Cassandra like this. We promised each other a long, long time ago that we would never interfere with the other's relationship. This is crazy. Tired of worrying about the situation, Gwena laid down and looked up at her beloved stars in the clear night sky.

"So," Cassandra said, long after Gwena was sure she was asleep. "Do we wait for Glow, or do we keep following Kantos?"

"Glow said to follow Kantos and he would find us. So we move on if Kantos moves." Gwena was surprised how painful it was to hear Cassandra say Glow's name. Maybe she should go back to Eire. There was no good reason to stay her in Scotland. Just the thought of leaving caused a lump in Gwena's throat.

"That sounds like him." Cassandra knew what was really troubling her sister. I know the two of them are fated for each other, but they're going to have to tell me, not the other way around, she thought to herself. "We'd better get some sleep, then, if we have to trail Kantos in the morning," was what she said to Gwena.