Seasons in Crimson

Chapter 4...

  Lycaenia stood by the campfire. Her eyes were completely fixed on the flames. The ghostly form of her beloved brother stood near her. She felt his presence and welcomed it. She needed the strength that he always brought to her. She only wished that he had still lived past his few months.
    "I did not know this is what was planned for you. However you now have the ability to make things better. "Romulus said. He could feel the tension in his twin sister. Death had not severed the bond that had formed in the womb. He still knew her better than  any one else. She was, after all, the reason he had not sought out his soul's rest. He would never burden her with the that knowledge.
   "Romulus being in the Spirit Realm has fogged your brain. This is not good. A Blessed One has not happened in about two hundred winters. And Ze'Eva says a Blessed One only comes when great unrest and bad things are coming. It will be just another duty for me. " Lycaenia said. She resisted the urge to growl in her irritation.
   Lycaenia did not like to feel like a whining pup, like a spoiled brat. But she was still not used to the idea that she was the Great Mother's chosen Vessel. It was a grat honor to be sure. But it also meant that she had more to worry about. As if being the Bandwise's daughter was not enough to deal with. And as if her pack needed another reason to judge her. They seemed to already have a grand time doing that as it was.
  "Lycaenia you worry too much. It will all work out. You will see. Your abilities will grow even more now. Just remember you have a link to the knowledge of the past. You can use your gifts to lead our people and those close to our people into a new time of prosperity." Romulus said softly. He ran a hand through his hair. He knew that his sister was very upset. It saddened him to see his sister face such a turn. And to not be able to at least offer her a brotherly hug only worsened that saddness.
   He saw the weariness in his sister's eyes. There was something on her heavy mind. And it wasn't just the Blessing she had been given. It was weariness else. Something personal that had a very heavy weight to it. It showed in every part of his sister. And he could just imagine who was on her mind. It tugged at his ghostly heart. There was noting that he could do to share her burden either.
   "Lycaenia what will you do about the human boy?" Romulus asked off handedly. He looked at his sister across the column of smoke that blew between them on the breeze. The imagine of Lycaenia's long tendrils floating and flitting on the breeze made her look regal and yet so unsure about herself. And that was something he knew that would not sit well with her. Not at all.
Lycaenia growled. She was not in any real mood to talk about Jareth. He was a cloud of confussion to her. And she didn't like thagt feeling at all. She liked her life the way it had been. She had duties true but once those duties were seen to she had at least a few moments of peace to herself. And now she would not, and Jareth was only an added complication. No matter how well he had fought or how easy on her eyes he had been.  It could not matter to her.
Jareth was a complication that she did not need.  And yet the way he had stood at her back and fought the rogue ones had been a sight to see. He had tried so hard to protect her, even with the rogue ones being what they were. He had battled and tried to not hurt them all at the same time. It showed that he cared for life as a whole and not just his own kind. He had truely thought while he had fought. That was a rare trait in a male of any species.
He had not feared her when he had seen her in the Forest. He had been cautious in her company. Not that she could blame him. She had been in  her wolf form. And she knew, from her aunt's voice, he knew nothing about her kind. Only the Guardian's and a chosen few knew the truth about Roma kind.
   Jareth's concern for her well being had sparked something in her heart she had not felt before. That alone set her teeth on edge. She knew that what ever she felt for Jareth was not good. At least not to her way of thinking. It would end badly. It always did, their histories were littered with such tragic stories. And she didn't want to become another story for any one's camp fire entertainment on a cold night.
Her kind had very strict rules about any kind of relationship with a human, male or female. And for very good reasons too. Too many of her kind had been slain because of a careless human. Lycaenia had very little, if any, faith in the human race. They changed their minds too quickly and they did not care for their families as they should, as the wolves did.
The few humans that she did trust could be counted on one hand. And only three of those had been Guardians. Though Guardians were always in a class all of their own. Guardians always were. They were not fully human once they finished their training and yet they were not wolf either. They were a breed all their own thanks to the Great Wolf Mother herself. But that was all together different.
"Romulus I will avoid all emotional attachment with him. Though he fought with me as an equal. When he woke from his fever he was concerned for the wolf. Aunt Ze'Eva seems to think that he has come into my life for a reason." Lycaenia said matter of factly. She spoke more to herself than  to her ghost brother.  She knew that she would have to work hard to convinceherself of that.
Romulus began to pace back and forth beside the fire. His spirit occasionaly blended with the blue grey smoke. He could see exactly where his beloved sister would be torn. It was a tricky situation to say the least.  After all Jareth was a human and knew nothing of their ways. And Lycaenia always errored on the side of caution. She avoided danger to their people at all costs. Danger to herself was acceptable. But never to their Band or People.
Ze'Eva stood at the edge of their Band's camp with Sage on her right. They watched Lycaenia tending the fire and pace around. Ze'Eva knew that she was conversing with a spirit. Most likely her twin brother Romulus. Lycaenia would go to him for all time as he was a part of her, the missing part, but a part just the same.
"Sage he will become the most trusted and sought out Guardian. He will protect her when all else will fail. He will be her strength when she is in need. He will be her truth when the way is clouded." Ze'Eva said. She had seen this all in a vision. She could not let Jareth go now that she had seen him later in life. Her niece would need him in the coming months.
Sage rubbed his chin. He had always known that Jareth was meant for more than the village life. He had never dreamed of the life that was rapidly unfolding before their eyes. It was all happening so fast. It took him back to his youth when something similar happened to him. Though he would not ever regret his life, he had had many grand adventures.
"Eva he knows nothing of Bands or Kin. I hid that part of my life from him and every one else. And for good reason, he is an old soul. He is smart and very strong in many ways. But this is more than even I ever dreamed for him. This is more than all of us could have dreamed. I fear for him." Sage said. He did not want to think of his beloved grandson is harm's way. And he certainly did not want to think that the maid he watched pace by the fire would be so deeply entangled in the Goddess' plans.
Ze'Eva placed her hand on Sage's shoulder in a tender gensture. "Please Sage. He is the last in your strong bloodline. At least think on it. They will come to neach other with or without our help. And with what may be coming they both will need all the help they can get from where ever they can get it." Ze'Eva said. She knew that getting Sage to see the truth would be difficult. But she would give it her best. She had to try. They had little time to loose or spare.
"Eva we are not gods. We do not know the future with absolute certainty. I do believe that my Jareth is matched very well to your Lycaenia. She is a high wspirited one. Just as you are. He would suit her well enough. But it must be her choice as well as his. I will not be part in taking away their choices. We swore all those years ago to break the cycle. No matter the cost. We cannot go back on that oath now." Sage said. He watched the maid pace beside the camp fire