Chapter 9

So, have you forgotten about Cora?" Peter asks his nephew as he walks into the loft. Peter had been back for several days with no information and he was getting frustrated. Derek had been sending pack members out constantly but he was fed up with the lack of information.

Derek raised an eyebrow at his uncle and glared at the man. "Stiles has tried several times to locate her but hasn't been successful" he tells him. "In fact he looked again this morning. The problem is that he is unable to see outside of his own borders so all he gets is a general direction and feel for distance."

Peter frowns and growls in frustration. "It should be a priority!" he demands.

Derek's eyes flash red at the challenge and the Alpha moves quickly to step into his uncle's space. Peter's instinctive reaction is to step back and bare his neck even though he hates it. "It is" Derek growls before taking a deep breath. "Stiles has been looking for both Cora and Boyd's sister but he is still learning about his own powers and how to use them. If he could travel, he could probably find them much quicker, but all he has gotten about Cora is southeast." Derek sighs. "I'm as frustrated as you are Peter, but railing at Stiles because he can't find her isn't going to help."

Peter stares at his nephew for a while before he remembers Derek's earlier comment. "You said he had an idea about distance. How far?"

Derek looks surprised at the question. "He isn't sure, but he said that he can feel Los Angeles and it was many times further than that."

Peter looks shocked before he starts pacing. "That far would be Central or more likely South America" Peter mumbles and Derek nods watching him pace. Peter looks up "Do you remember the Alvarez Pack?" he asks.

Derek frowns. "No" he answers but frowns "but it sounds familiar…why?"

"About two years before the fire, Angelica Alvarez came to visit Talia. She wanted some family information, I don't remember exactly what, but her mother had been a Hale offshoot. She came for about a week and had her daughter Esmeralda with her who was about Cora's age. Remember?"

Derek frowned. He vaguely remembered a woman and her daughter visiting, but he wasn't really interested in the young girl or her mother as a young teenager. "Sort of. Why does that matter?"

"The Alvarez Pack is in Argentina. As I recall Cora and Esmeralda became pen pals after the visit and were still sending letters when" he pauses and looks sick "the fire happened."

"Okay" Derek says slowly. "But how does that help us."

"What if Cora escaped and ran trying to find help. She didn't know anyone else but knew the Alvarez were family" Peter explained.

"You think Cora, at ten years old, managed to run all the way to Argentina by herself?" Derek challenges.

"Maybe not, but maybe she was able to get help. If she found a pack and asked for help to get to family, many packs might be willing. Especially as she was running from Hunters" Peter reasoned.

Derek looked thoughtful. Stiles had been fairly upset the last time he had tried to locate Cora and although Derek had assured him that he trusted that he was doing his best, he was just as frustrated as Peter at the lack of progress. If it hadn't been for everything else, he would have already left. He looked up at Peter. "Do you know how to contact them?" he asks.

Peter frowns. He wasn't the source of the contact and doesn't even remember who the alpha was. He shook his head. "I don't know" he says but before Derek can reply he adds "but I do know others who might be able to help me get closer. Let me reach out and try to find them" he says determined to do so regardless.

Derek nods knowing his uncle. He doubted even an Alpha order would stop him and Derek has no intention of doing that. "Whatever you need, do it. We can hold things here if you need to travel" he says and Peter actually smiles before he leaves.

Peter shuts the loft door behind him determined. He may have been forgiven by his family for Laura's death but he hadn't forgiven himself. Finding Cora wouldn't bring anyone back, but it would help.

Phil steps out of the red convertible and looks up at the ornate window at the top of this building with trepidation. The last few years have been wild starting with Tony Stark and all the Iron Man business, meeting the Asgardian Thor for all of five minutes before he disappeared, and then discovering Steve Rogers had been more exciting than anything in all his years in Shield and he had met shape changing aliens! Phil had grown up hearing stories about Captain America from his great uncle, one of the famous fighting commandos that worked with the Captain to take down Hydra after he rescued them.

Being an agent had its rewards and difficulties and he would accept a dozen missions like the one with Thor in New Mexico all over again if that's what it took to meet his hero. He knows you shouldn't idolize people, they inevitably let you down, but he seriously doubts that Steve Rogers would be able to manage that even if he wanted to. The man radiated righteousness. He was as confident as Stark without the cocky ego. He was as effective as Romanoff or Barton without the cold armor of the killers they had to be. He wasn't certain he was always right, but he was determined to try and be.

Phil Coulson was surprised when Fury integrated Rogers into the organization. The truth was that Shield sometimes had to take actions that wouldn't sit well with someone like Captain America and when Fury tried to force him into something he felt was wrong…then Shield would not come out ahead. He had tried to explain that to Fury but he didn't listen and instead pressed forward and now they had three destroyed carriers and Shield having been shattered by the exposure that Hydra had infiltrated the organization almost from the beginning. Phil was just one of the former agents, still loyal to the ideals of Shield, who were trying to put things back together again.

Shaking off such thoughts, Phil instead stared at the building at 177A Bleecker Street and braced himself. Shield had noted the building as something to be watched, but not interfered with. Both Howard Stark and Peggy Carter had both met with the previous occupants and came out of it shaken and determined that Shield should stay far away from the place. Fury had made arrangements and Phil had been read in shortly after the battle of New York during his recovery and that revelation was somehow more surprising than aliens or frozen super soldiers. But Carter and Stark didn't know what they knew now but that hadn't prevented them keeping an eye on the place and he smiled as he glanced over at the small coffee shop across from the place that Shield owned and its agents worked at.

Stepping up to the door he pressed the button and heard the rather ornate chimes echoing in the large building. He waited only a few seconds before the door opened and Phil looked at the older Asian man that their people had identified as living here, a guy named Wong.

"Hello sir. I need to speak with Dr. Strange" Phil said with an easy smile for the man.

Wong stared for a moment, looking all around him with his eyes before nodding and opening the door to allow Phil to enter the large entryway with the huge stairway going up to the second floor. "Come with me" he motioned and led Phil to a small room lined with books and two chairs located in the center of the room. "Dr. Strange will be with you shortly Agent Coulson" Wong said as he backed out of the room with a smile.

Phil hated this. He never gave his name but not only did the man know it, he was certain that he knew exactly who Phil was and who he worked for. He seriously needs a raise if he is going to keep working with all of these people. Sighing he sits down in one of the chairs and he absently rubs his chest and still feels the ghost injury from Loki's staff and tries to get comfortable. If their intel is correct, Strange may be able to help them figure out what is happening in Northern California.

"Sorry for the delay" the voice startles Phil as he looks at the other chair and sees a distinguished man sitting there. A man who he most definitely did not see enter the room and sit down. A man quite familiar from the photos in his Shield files. "You are from Shield" he states, not asks.

"You seem remarkably well informed" Coulson replies as he gathers his thoughts.

"Well, you do have that team in the coffee shop watching my home all day" he says easily and Coulson can't exactly hide the slight reaction to that.

"To be fair, we were watching the building since before you lived here" Coulson counters and sees the acknowledgement from the other man. "Dr. Strange, I am hoping that you might be able to assist us with some reports coming out that seem more in your area of…expertise?"

Stephen Strange smirks. "You need a neuro-surgeon?" he asks, challenge clear in his voice.

Phil sighs. The guy appears to share more in common with Stark than facial hair! He could give Stark a run in the ego department! "Actually, it's more in the nature of the responsibilities of the ancient one. I assume you have taken over for her?"

Stephen leans back and tries not to show that he is a bit impressed. He honestly didn't expect Shield to truly understand anything about them. He had found notes about the organization from the Ancient One but they were intentionally vague. Stephen had the impression that she had managed to convince the previous agents who came here that there were some things that didn't really concern them and that the government should keep out of it. "I have" he admits reluctantly.

"Then you are the best we have" Phil replies. Seeing agreement, he continues "we have been tracking a number of strange incidents coming out of Northern California and…" he loses his train of thought seeing the other man react. "You know something?" he asks leaning forward.

Stephen leans back and steeples his hands, resting his fingertips on his lips. "I know of certain…movements going on and some are associated with that general area. I myself was dealing with a, shall we say, difficult situation. Unfortunately I was not able to resolve that situation, but I will" he adds.

"Would this be something in the last few weeks?" Phil asks and sees the man frown.

"No. That happened earlier. More recent events…I am aware of those however I was not directly involved" Stephen admits cautiously.

"Then you understand that we need to determine if this is something that we need to…handle" Phil says delicately.

Stephen smirks. "I think that even Shield might find it difficult to 'handle' everything happening there right now."

"Can you give us something more? We are getting strange reports from a number of sources not to mention that both satellite and other sensors are registering some rather unique readings that we have seen in several other situations that were extremely disturbing" Phil explains seriously. The readings from a number of their sensors showed energies similar to New York when Loki attacked, reports on the alien stone that is now a part of the Vision, a strange incident in Hong Kong that no one apparently witnessed or noticed despite the rather significant energy readings, and then there's Thor's battle with elves apparently over in England!

Stephen stood up and walked over to one of the bookshelves and seemed to be looking at the titles before turning back. "If I told you that particular situation was being handled?" he asks.

"I think we might need more information than just that" Phil says standing up. "I have read our files on this place and it is woefully incomplete for an organization like ours. The main direction we had was to avoid 'this' whatever 'this' was. And before all this?" he gestures to indicate outside the building "That may have worked but now? Now we have aliens invading, apparent gods walking around, armored men flying around, and doorways to other planets opening up. We can no longer afford to be ignorant of all of this" he says sincerely.

"You are not equipped to understand or act in these situations. What is happening in California" Stephen pauses to carefully consider his words "it is something significant that has happened before. It will change many things and to be honest, it is not for politicians or petty bureaucrats to try and involve themselves in."

"We are trying to protect people" Phil counters.

Stephen looks almost amused. "Really? Just a few months ago Shield was getting ready to murder people by the millions" he says seriously.

"That was Hydra" Phil says defensively. "We have been dealing with them."

"Them? Agent Coulson, Hydra infiltrated Shield for decades. They are not 'them', but 'us' in many ways. The fact is though that if your organization knew about this aspect of the world, have you considered how much more damage could have occurred? Magic is real agent and somehow the idea of a group of maniacal Nazi sympathizers with access to the arcane arts is not something that sits particularly well with me. Does it with you?" he challenges.

Phil doesn't immediately respond but carefully considers the man's words. "No it doesn't. But there are good people who should know. People I trust" he says sincerely.

Stephen watches for a moment. "So no one that you trusted, that you felt was loyal to the ideals of Shield, was affiliated with Hydra?" he challenges.

Phil flinches and knows the man saw it. He looks down knowing he was fooled. Once he would have trusted his team with this…but now? Now he wasn't as sure. "I did trust some people who betrayed us. That is true. But I also know that we can't just continue to ignore things. Did you know that we have had nearly a dozen sightings of mermaids near San Francisco? Geologists are discovering that the magnetic lines in the earth are shifting all over the western half of the US. And I bet if I asked, you would tell me that the strange reports are only going to increase?" he says with a questioning look.

"They will" Stephen concedes. "But that does not mean that the government is in the best position to deal with what is happening there."

"Then speak to the Avengers. If you don't want to talk to Shield, talk to Iron Man and the others, they are definitely not part of the government" he offers.

Stephen considers thoughtfully and finally agrees. He promises to come to Stark Tower

"Oh these are cute" Erica says looking at the red boots in the store window. She, Allison, and Lydia had all met up with Kira and had been shopping at the mall for a bit before Lydia had demanded that they go check out the small boutiques in the old downtown part of Beacon Hills.

"Hmph" Lydia made an uncommitted noise as she glanced at the boots. "Not really your color" she advised the blonde who frowned.

"Why not?" she asked seeing Kira and Allison trailing behind them talking about archery. Kira had been very impressed by Allison's stories about her learning archery.

"Red is your highlight color. Use it sparingly and it is significantly more powerful. You look better in strong colors anyway and that red is too faded…also…its more burgundy than red. If you are going to go for power, that is not the one to get. Red is the color of sex, and fear, and danger, and signs that say 'do not enter'. Burgundy is the color of hot water bottles" Lydia says with a haughty sniff.

Erica stares at her for a moment. "You are quoting something" she declares and Lydia only smirks and continues walking. The blonde looks at the boots and grants that they really are burgundy, not fire engine red like she prefers.

"Oh look!" Kira says excitedly pointing to the small park where a small number of tents are set up with various vendors.

The girls drift over to the stalls and look at the first booth which appears to be various glass jewelry. It is all very colorful and creative and even Lydia appears interested in the unique pieces. They meander among the artists selling their creations when they spot an older Native American gentleman sitting on the ground with a blanket covered in small display boxes. Erica is the first there and gasps in pleasant surprise at the beautiful pieces. "Allison! Look at this" she says with excitement.

The Huntress comes over and looks at the small bracelet and smiles at the design. It is an arrow, designed to wrap around the wrist with the head and tail forming the clasp. As series of pearlescent stones runs down the center of the arrow. "Sir, can I ask what these stones are?" Allison politely asks the elderly man who smiles at her and Allison suddenly realizes that his eyes have a slight film over them.

"They are moonstones" he replies before she can clarify her question and she looks back down at the bracelet with surprise.

"Oh that is too funny" Erica mutters and the brunette just nods.

"That bracelet is part of a set of items" the man says with a gentle smile. "It is part of the tale of the Four Daughters and that bracelet represents the youngest."

Lydia and Kira had caught up and were looking at the bracelet in Allison's hands, Lydia knowingly and Kira Innocently. "The Four Daughters?" Lydia asks with an inquiring look.

"Would you like to sit? It is not a short tale" the man offers and Kira and Erica both drop down and get comfortable. Allison moves a bit slower but she does as well. Lydia sighs and rolls her eyes and manages to sit demurely on the slight grass slope next to the man.

"My name is Sedit, and among my people there is a tale of a great Chieftan named Enapay who lived in the time before the white man came and our people were proud and free. This Chief was powerful not just in battle, but he had a powerful magic that allowed him to fiercely protect his people. He had become Chief after his father had returned to the ancestors and after a time he married a maiden who he loved with all his heart. She bore him four daughters, each beautiful and graceful, but with her fifth child, his wife took ill and both she and his only son died shortly after the boy was born" the man recounted in a strong, firm voice that belied his appearance.

"Now chief Enapay was pressured by many in the tribe to take another wife to bear him a son, but he refused. His love for his wife was too great and he knew that he would not love another like he did her and he didn't wish to betray her memory. The men of the tribe were nervous but they realized that if one of them married one of Enapay's daughters, then they would have a claim to be the next Chief" he told his audience.

"Typical" Lydia snorted. "I guess no one thought that one of the daughters could be chief" she said with a huff.

Sedit smiled gently at the redhead and continued. "Years passed and the daughters all grew into the beauty promised as children. The eldest daughter Inola had hair like a raven and a quiet nature, but she was strong. Stronger than many of the warriors realized. She had known her mother most and had listened to the stories she told as she had come from another tribe. This maiden was also clever, as clever as any trickster and one night when she was searching the woods for healing herbs she came upon a pure white fox." Sedit reaches out and pulls out a pendant with a silver fox charm. The fox had amber eyes that seemed to almost glow in the sunlight. "So the daughter recounted her mother's stories to the fox and he was entranced. He laid down and listened to the maiden tales, eyes glowing in the night as she spoke and when the dawn arrived, she suddenly found herself alone."

"What happened?" Kira squeaked but Erica hushed her.

Sedit chuckled. "Returning to her home, the daughter sought out her sisters and shared her story of her adventure and her sisters were surprised. Inola, the daughter, was flushed with excitement but her father was greatly worried. He feared for his daughter but she appeared fine until he noted the lock of pure white hair among the raven dark locks. By this he knew that his daughter had been touched by a powerful spirit, one he did not wish to antagonize."

"Always good to avoid that" Allison said nudging Lydia who smirked and nodded.

"The next night Inola returned to the glade and once again found the white fox. She told more of her stories until again it was dawn. Returning home her tribe was suddenly very respectful. Her single white streak was now two and all could sense a strangeness around the maiden. Though worried, Chief Enapay did not want to draw down the ire of the spirit so he waited. Each night, for a full turn of the moon, Inola would slip out and sit with the snowy fox and each morning her hair had more white until no black remained. Her eyes had also changed from warm brown to a deep amber that glowed in the sun" Sedit tells them and points at the charm that Kira is gently stroking. "On the night of the full moon, one full cycle since she first met the fox, she prepared to go to the woods but she knew things were different and asked her sisters and her father to walk with her. They five all walked silently until reaching 'her' clearing where the sisters and chief spotted the white fox and froze while Inola stepped forward and walked up to the luminescent fox, the white of its coat shining in the white light of the moon."

"What's going to happen?" Erica whispers fiercely grabbing onto Kira's hand and both girls squeezed tightly.

"Inola stared into the fox's eyes for a long time, the silence of the moment unbroken by any before she turned around to the gasps of her sisters. Inola's eyes were golden and glowing. 'I have to go' she told them simply and she embraced each of her sisters before stepping into her father's arms. 'This is my path' she tells him and he only nods. Inola walks back to the fox, removing her clothes until she stands skyclad, her body bathed in the moonlight until she glows. Her family watches as she shrinks down and in moments where once a maiden and fox stood, there are now two white foxes, both with white fur and glowing golden eyes. They look back at the Chief and his now three daughters for a moment before turning and disappearing into the trees" Sedit coughs softly.

"So what happened to them?" Kira demands looking stricken.

"No one knows for sure. They were never seen again by the tribe, but many whisper that Inola and her mate were now trickster spirits who used their gifts to deceive the enemies of the tribe for many generations to come" Sedit explains with a smile.

"So one daughter marries and leaves" Lydia says with a sigh as she looks at her three companions with amused acceptance.

"What about the other daughters?" Erica demands.

"Now Kiwidinok was agreed to be the most beautiful of all the daughters. She was strong and willful and when the warriors sought her favor, she dismissed them out of hand. The women of the tribe all knew of her sharp tongue, but they were also in awe of her. The Chief's mother had taken Kiwidinok under her wing and taught her the ways of the wise woman, the medicine walker. And this maiden knew her own worth. Now it happened one season when a nearby tribe came to trade with the Chief and among them came their Chief and his four younger sons and they boasted greatly of their strength and skill at hunting, but not the youngest. He simply stood silent attending to his father while his brothers all sought to impress the women of the tribe and on the very first day they arrived they encountered they sharp tongue of Kiwidinok and the brothers appeared to instead impress the other women of the tribe. Though she was a great beauty, she appeared to be too difficult" Sedit pauses and picks up a box and hands it to Lydia.

Lydia frowns but opens the box and is happily surprised. Nestled in the cotton lining the box is a bracelet like Allison's but instead of an arrow, it is a series of birds in flight. Each flowing over deep green stones, connecting each to the other by the soft silver wings of the birds in flight. The green stones are dark, almost black, and Lydia feels a chill run down her back before showing to the others who are suitably impressed. The redhead looks back up at the old man who has been patiently waiting. "So what happened?" Lydia asks curious despite herself.

Sedit chuckles softly. "Well two of the brothers were hunting and they came upon a spring where Kiwidinok was working her medicine ways and the brothers hid to watch the maiden. While they appreciated her beauty, they were unprepared when she began to sing. You see Kiwidinok had a voice like no other and the brothers were overwhelmed with desire upon hearing her song. So great was the effect that when she had left, the brothers had no idea when they finally came to their senses. From that point both brothers were determined to win the maiden for their own and began following her around to help and boast of their skills."

Erica snorted at that but Kira and Allison both hushed her as they were enthralled by Sedit's tale and his musical voice.

"Now the other two brothers were surprised by their sudden change and followed them the next day where they too heard Kiwidinok's voice singing in the woods and both were equally affected. Now the older brother was much like his brothers and the three of them began contesting for the Chief Enapay's daughter's eye. They not only boasted of their skills, but began competing by bringing her gifts. Meat for her family, furs and pelts, arrowheads and blades and even some of the dyes and paints that their father had brought to trade, much to his dismay. However he also knew that if she accepted one of his sons then they would become a chief, something that only one of them could do among their own people. So for several days they vied for Kiwidinok's favor though she ignored them, giving away their gifts."

"What about the fourth brother?" Kira asks with a sharp breath.

"Ah, Chaytan. Chaytan was not like his brothers. He was not vain or boastful, but quiet and reserved. Though greatly impressed by her voice and beauty, he remembered his duty and served his father and while he was polite to Kiwidinok, he did not pursue her" Sedit says with a smile.

Lydia sighed exasperatedly "Let me guess, she fell for Chaytan?" she says with a weary look.

Sedit smiles at the redhead. "Not exactly. She started noticing him and watched how he would help the people of her own tribe without expectation or bragging. He would step in, help, and then step away. He was always polite, but rarely did he speak. She finally confronted him demanding to know why he did not bring her any gifts like his brothers."

Kira, Allison, and Erica let out excited shrieks. "Oh she is so caught" Erica snickered and the others' laughter rang in the small park. Lydia seemed mildly offended by the story.

"Well Chaytan told her that she rejected his brothers' gifts so he did not wish to offer insult to her by adding to their efforts. Then he asked, most respectfully, what she would wish for a gift."

"Eeeeee" Kira squealed happily.

"Well Kiwidinok was surprised but she told him that she needed certain plants that were deep in the woods for her medicines and Chaytan only nodded. He returned the next morning with a basket of the herbs, leaving it at her tent. He never asked again but every day or so Kiwidinok would ask him to gather stones, wood, flowers, or other items she needed and each time he would return, give them to her, and return to his father's side with none of his brothers or father ever realizing what he was doing. After a full moon, Kiwidinok again confronted him and demanded to know why he did all those things and yet would ask nothing in return. So he did. He asked her to sing for him" Sedit said with a sly expression. "Kiwidinok was surprised but she agreed and that night she sang before the whole tribe. Her song the story of a young maiden and a warrior who met and sought to marry but their fathers forbade it. The two ran away together with the warriors of the tribe chasing them seeking to keep them apart. In their haste, both of the young lovers had fallen from a cliff and died tragically" he said with a sad look.

"Oh, why would she sing such a song?" Kira asks looking at the other girls.

"It was a very popular song" Sedit confessed. "Well the brothers were even more determined and each of them went to Kiwidinok's father to ask for his daughter's hand but the wise Chief declined and informed the brother that it was his daughter's choice. Well the three brothers and their father confronted Kiwidinok and demanded she choose one of them. They even threatened war between their people."

Lydia's eyes had gone hard and flinty as she stared at the old man. "They threatened her family and friends to get her to marry one of them?" she asked in a dangerous voice.

"Oh yes" Sedit chuckled "but they were no match for Kiwidinok and her sisters. The next day she came and demanded that they agree to a peace if she agreed to marry one of the chief's sons. He agreed, as did the three brothers, but Kiwidinok wasn't through. She demanded all the issues that her father wanted for the other tribe and so determined to win the maiden they agreed. Then Kiwidinok agreed and said she would marry Chaytan surprising his brothers and father. The brothers protested loudly at her choice and declared it an insult. Kiwidinok reminded the chief that she had only promised to marry one of his sons, not one of the three braggarts and he laughed and agreed."

"So she outmaneuvered them" Allison nodded approvingly.

"So for a week the village celebrated Chaytan and Kiwidinok and each night his three brothers grew more and more furious at her actions and jealous of their brother. Kiwidinok however was more than happy with her choice as she spent time with her husband to be and found him to be both strong and gentle. Chaytan had been as enthralled as his brothers but he knew that he had to win her respect before he could ask for her love and that made all the difference" Sedit said knowingly.

"Now, the night before the wedding, Chaytan and his brothers went to the spring to bathe before his wedding and in a fit of rage and jealousy the brothers struck and killed Chaytan, drowning him. Now then the brothers panicked fearing their father's wrath so they desecrated their brother's body so it would look like a wild animal and then they returned to the village and bemoaned their 'beloved' brother's death" the old man told them.

The girls all sat stunned before Erica almost roared "They KILLED him?!" she says furiously and Allison grabs her hand to remind her they were in public. Kira looks as furious but Lydia? Lydia looks ready to murder someone.

"Now the brothers' father was upset, but he had many sons and he was more concerned about the loss of the agreement between the tribes so he agreed that Kiwidinok must choose another. The next morning, they told the tribe of Chaytan's loss and Kiwidinok was stunned and then the brothers demanded she honor her promise to marry one of them to secure their peace. Now like you young ladies, Kiwidinok was not fooled by the brothers' claims of how Chaytan died and she demanded that the young warrior be given an honorable burial first" Sedit says seriously.

"So that night the tribe gathered together to honor the young man and the brothers all spoke of their love for their youngest brother and then it was time for Kiwidinok and instead of speaking, she began to sing. She sang of love and honor and kindness and the people of her tribe wept openly for their Chief's daughter and her grief. But then Kiwidinok looked at the three brothers and her voice turned cold. She sang of vengeance and fury and the tribe suddenly felt a fear they had never known. The brothers and their father grabbed their weapons but it was too late. Kiwidinok knew powerful magic and her voice was her weapon which she turned on the faithless warriors. Her voice sang with power and suddenly Chaytan stood behind her, a spirit standing behind his beloved as Kiwidinok's song tore the murderers and the honorless chief into shreds."

"She killed them with her voice?" Erica stammers before glancing nervously at Lydia who also looks shocked.

"Kiwidinok's fury was inescapable" Sedit confirms. "She called on the spirits and they gave her vengeance but it came at a terrible price."

"She died too?" Allison asks with a heavy weight in her voice.

"No. If she died she would be reunited with Chaytan and her actions demanded justice. Instead the spirits decreed that since her voice was her nature, then that is what she would be. Kiwidinok was transformed into the voice of the wind. Whether you hear the wind roaring or whispering, it is Kiwidinok's voice calling out to her beloved Chaytan. She was punished by having to sing the grief and rage of the People until all of our people finally come home when she can finally be united with her love." Sedit looks sad but also firm.

"That's not fair!" Erica exclaims and Kira nods. Allison and Lydia however look much more thoughtful.

"Kiwidinok killed in her rage and fury. Her voice, a gift from the spirits, was to serve her tribe, not her own desire for vengeance" he reminded them.

"But they killed their own brother!" Kira wails. "They were a threat!"

"Perhaps" Sedit acknowledges "but the spirits are capricious and her gifts were for life, not death. Her song was supposed to inspire bravery, loyalty, and peace. Instead it caused fear, pain, and death. Kiwidinok abused her gifts and had to pay the price.

The girls all grumble but finally Kira looks up and says "What about the other sisters?"

Sedit smiles. "Ah well. Tala and Soolewa were very different from their sisters. Soolewa had been the youngest and most indulged daughter of Chief Enapay. When very young, she had asked to learn to hunt and shoot like the men, and he had indulged her. He did not know however that she continued training and practicing beyond his first lessons. By the time she lost her sisters, Soolewa was better than any man with her bow and could hunt, track, and fight as well as any man. In fact, many felt she had Two-Spirits and in fact was the son of the Chief. Soolewa did not challenge this belief though she did not think it was true. She appreciated the men of the tribe, but she did not wish to be wife to any of them."

"Now Tala, she was as independent as Soolewa was but she was not gifted in battle. She loved instead to run. She could run faster and farther than any man in the tribe and she loved most to run in the night" Sedit told them as he grabs another box and hands it to Erica. Opening the box she gasps as the silver wolf head on a leather thong. The wolf is howling against a white moonstone like the ones on Allison's bracelet but larger.

"Now Tala was most affected by the loss of Inola and when they lost Kiwidinok she was even more despondent. She had seen what had happened to her sisters and knew that she would not be able to stand against her father's will like they did and she wasn't a warrior like Soolewa so she ran. She ran each night under the moon and prayed to the ancestors for an answer. Well word came that Chaytan's brothers, the two who had stayed behind with their tribe, had declared war on Tala's family and sought to punish Enapay's tribe for the deaths of their father and brothers, even blaming her family for Chaytan's death despite the confession that Kiwidinok's song drew from them before they died."

"So they blamed Tala's family and wanted vengeance?" Allison murmured sadly. It seemed the cycle never ended.

Sedit nodded in agreement with the brunette before continuing. "The two remaining brothers led a war party towards the tribe but Tala had been running and was far from her family when she spotted the warriors approaching stealthily in the night."

"They were going to sneak attack?" Lydia demanded.

The old man only smiled sadly. "Tala saw their movements and prayed to the moon for help. She wanted to protect her family, but she also wanted to run. She called out for her sisters to grant her aid and the moon heard. Tala felt the light of the moon pounding in her blood as her body grew strong and sleek and fast. Where once a beautiful woman stood, now was a large silver-white wolf."

"She turned into a wolf?" Erica whispers, her grip on the necklace tightening.

"Yes" Sedit nodded "and she raced for the invading war party. Her attack caught them off guard and they scrambled but she was fast and strong and she rushed among them before darting out again. She made them afraid of the glowing spirit wolf and the warriors of the tribe declared that Tala's family were protected and fled despite the demands of the two brothers. They were furious and declared that they would burn down the forest to destroy Enapay and his family. They demanded vengeance for the deaths of their family, no matter that those who died had been the ones truly guilty."

Lydia and Erica both glance at Allison who looks pale. "So what did Tala do?" she asks in a voice that does not quiver though Erica can smell her anxiety and Lydia can easily read it in her friend.

"Tala, unlike her sister, had been give strength, teeth, and claws and had warned the warriors. The others fled and she let them but when the brothers sought to advance she toyed with them no longer. In moments the final two brothers were dead and Tala stood victorious. She returned to her father and sister, both of whom were overwhelmed by their sister's transformation. Tala flowed back into a maiden and told her father that she couldn't live with the tribe but that she would watch over them. She needed to be free, not under the rule of any other. She said her goodbyes, transformed into the wolf again, and fled into the woods. It was said that for many generations, warriors and maidens of the tribe would see the silver-white wolf running in their lands, watching and protecting her people from harm."

"Wow. So one sister became a wolf and another a fox while the third became the voice of the wind" Kira recounted in a dreamy voice. "So what happened to Soolewa?"

"Ah, well that is definitely a fine end to the story" Sedit says with a wide smile. "After each of her sisters left their tribe, the warriors had increased their attention to the remaining daughters. Now that Soolewa was the only daughter remaining, they all pressed for her hand. Now Chief Enapay had grown very wise over the years and he called all of the tribe together and he announced a trial for the right to decide who Soolewa would wed and who would be the next chief. He declared three trials: hunting, tracking, and fighting. The warriors rejoiced and each promised to win the contest. The next day Enapay told the warriors with the approach of winter, the tribe needed meat. The one who returned within three days with the largest kill would be declared the winner. Over the next two days most of the braves returned with their trophies. On the third day, one warrior named Kenet returned with an elk, the largest seen before and it appeared that it was enough to be the winner. In fact he called on Enapay to declare him the winner but the Chief refused. He told them that the contest was open for three days so until the time was up, he would not declare a winner."

"Soolewa was out hunting wasn't she?" Allison asks shrewdly and the old man just chuckles.

"Right before the sun set Soolewa came into the camp pulling a sled upon which was resting the buffalo she had hunted. Now her tribe did not normally hunt the buffalo but they knew of it and it was nearly three times the size of Kenet's elk. Upon her arrival Enapay asked the women of the tribe who had brought them the most meat. All of them agreed it was Soolewa and so the Chief declared her the winner" Sedit recounted.

"Bet the guys didn't like that one bit" Erica says knowingly.

"No they did not" Sedit replies with another chuckle "but their protests fell on deaf ears. Enapay had made no restrictions on who could be a part of the challenge and he had purposefully declared that the winner would decide, not that they would have Soolewa's hand. Well the warriors were angry, but the women of the tribe had, to a one, sided with Soolewa and even the most foolish warrior would not fight their own mothers, sisters, and grandmothers so they yielded. Well the next trial was tracking. All of the warriors and Soolewa were taken to a clearing and Enapay gave them their task. To track an eagle that had killed a rabbit in the field. The warriors were dismayed but they tried. However they were not as gifted as Soolewa and by morning she had returned with a blood touched feather from the Eagle's nest and was declared again the winner."

"How did they know it was the right eagle?" Kira asks confused. "I mean should could have just found the feather and brought it back."

Sedit smiled knowingly. "This eagle was well known to the tribe as it was completely black with a stripe of white along the wings. When Soolewa returned with the black and white feather, they all knew."

"Now the men of the tribe were very nervous as she had won two rounds but each was determined to win the third. Enapay declared that the warriors would draw lots and fight until a victor was declared. Winners would meet the next day and draw again until only one remained" the old man told his rapt audience. "That first day, Soolewa was one of the last to fight but she easily bested her opponent to the shock of everyone but her father. Enapay had taught his daughter to fight and knew she was gifted. Over the days that followed Soolewa defeated each of her foes until it came down to her and the warrior Kenet. They fought fiercely as Kenet had watched Soolewa fight and knew she was a worthy opponent and nothing less than his best would do."

"He still lost" Allison says with certainty and Sedit laughs aloud.

"He did indeed young lady. Though he fought well, Soolewa defeated him. Upon being declared the winner, Soolewa claimed the right to be Chief in her own name and that she would marry no man. She did have several children, Kenet fathering them, but Soolewa was chief after her father and until her death. She was known as a wise and strong chief who led her people well. And so ends the tale of the four sisters. Perhaps you enjoyed it?" the man says slyly.

All four of them assure him they did. "So perhaps you wish to purchase my little trinkets?" he suggests and each of the girls agree that the story alone was worth it not counting the beautiful items. They all pay up and as they start to move out Lydia hangs back with a thoughtful expression.

"That was a very interesting tale" she tells the man who only smiles and hands her a fifth box.

"For those who will listen, your song rings in this land dark lady" he says and Lydia's eyes narrow before opening the box. Inside is a bracelet, much larger than the others, more like a man's. Leather with a motif of running wolves. In the center is a circle of turquoise and a red stone with a geometric pattern that makes her think of math for some reason. "Perhaps you can deliver my gift to the new guardian of these lands?"

Lydia's head snaps up and sees that the man's eyes are not covered with film anymore but are crystal clear, golden eyes shining not unlike the wolves, but with an age and wisdom burning there. He laughs and the wind blows strongly enough that she has to blink her eyes against it. Opening them the man and his tent are gone without a trace.

Running the borders is normally a pain Scott thinks. But ever since the girls came back from the park three days ago telling everyone about their encounter with the man and his story, they were a bit on edge. Stiles had checked out their items and all of them carried a minor magic charm, he described it as a blessing, but nothing dangerous or harmful. He seemed more concerned about the fact that he hadn't felt anything about this guy in the area so he assumed that he might have just been a regular guy selling some pieces with traces of magic.

Lydia refused to believe it as she had gone over everything multiple times and was convinced that he not only knew exactly who they were, but that he was significantly more powerful than Stiles was willing to admit. Derek had stepped in to add another patrol for tonight after checking out the park yielded no results. And after nearly a day of arguing, Scott, Jackson, and Isaac had all volunteered to go.

So that is how the three of them found themselves running through the Preserve in the middle of the night looking for traces of some guy who's scent they didn't even have. "This is pointless" Jackson says with a snarl as he slows down in a break in the trees. Isaac and Scott both turn back to the beta.

"Why don't you tell Lydia your opinion on the whole thing" Isaac suggests with a snicker which causes Jackson to growl and flash his eyes. Scott sighs and moves between them.

"Isaac stop" Scott orders the beta before turning to Jackson. "Look the girls are a bit concerned. Lydia doesn't like feeling outmaneuvered and for the first time Stiles isn't all paranoid and suspicious which makes her even more pissed off than usual."

Jackson shifts his anger to the brunette wolf "And you believe Allison?" he snarls out remembering the rather harsh words the huntress had for her boyfriend when he suggested they were over-reacting.

"It's not about believing their story" Scott replies with a sigh. "They saw something, which I definitely believe. Stiles even confirmed the stuff they got had some minor, harmless magic on them. But he didn't detect any danger before or after. We all went to the park and there were no strange scents. Even Erica admitted that she didn't sense anything off from the guy while they were there. The girls are frustrated but there is literally nothing we can do about it." Scott looks at the other two and sees some of the tension ease out of them.

"Stiles didn't sense anything?" Isaac asks again.

Scott shakes his head. "Not when the girls asked him nor any of the other half dozen times he looked for any trace" Scott offers.

Jackson's face suddenly looks confused. "I didn't know he looked that much" he admits looking at Scott. "Why didn't he tell the girls that?"

"You mean why didn't he mention that he had tried repeatedly to find anything and didn't and that the most likely answer was that there wasn't anything to find?" Scott asks.

Isaac and Jackson both wince at the thought of how the women of the pack would have reacted to that. Lydia would have been even more determined that something was wrong, Allison would have gone into full Hunter mode and Erica would have been even more wild. Luckily Kira was the only one unaffected by it all since she didn't know anything about this. Stiles hadn't checked out Kira's pendant, in fact the teen hadn't even met the girl yet. They had figured that she and her mother had been sensed by Stiles earlier but since they knew who she was, he hadn't been particularly concerned about them. They really needed to introduce her to Derek and Stiles soon though if she kept hanging out with the pack.

"Okay, Stilinski was probably smart about that one, but then why are we out here?" Jackson grumbled looking around the empty woods.

"Because the only one more paranoid than Lydia or Stiles is Derek" Isaac answers with a snort. Both of the other boys look at the tall beta. "Derek doesn't know what they saw and while he trusts Stiles, he isn't willing to ignore a possible warning. He gets to make himself feel more certain while also showing the girls that he values their insights. Not to mention giving the three of us a night off from arguing about it."

Both of the other betas nodded at the explanation. "So how much longer do we have to patrol?" Jackson asks.

Scott opens his mouth to respond when all three of the wolves turn at the sound of something large and heavy running nearby. "What is that?" Scott growls as he shifts into his beta form. The closest thing he can associate that sound with is the night he was bit and that herd of deer came thundering through the woods.

"Sounds like a horse?" Jackson says, his head tilted to the side as he listens. "A big one…running."

Both Scott and Isaac listen and quickly hear the rhythmic sounds of the pounding and indeed it does sound vaguely like horses running. "But why would horses be out here?" Isaac asks the others.

"Not horses, just one" Jackson says his eyes flashing blue.

"But you can feel it" Isaac says with his hand on the ground, the slight tremors coming in a distinctive pattern.

"Then it's not a horse" Scott declares with certainty. "Let's go!" he roars and takes off towards the sound, Jackson and Isaac racing after him, all three running on all fours.

The pounding suddenly begins pulling away from them and the three teens are shocked but quickly increase their own speed. Scott gestures and Jackson and Isaac veer off to the sides hoping to cut off whatever is making that noise.

They are running hard but the sound gets quiet and then suddenly stops and Scott realizes they have been running for miles. He lets out a loud howl and hears Jackson and Isaac's reply as both teens close in on Scott in a few moments. "What happened?" Jackson demands.

Before anyone can answer the sound returns but this time behind them. The three wolves turn and see a flash of white in the far distance and they take off. They continue running, chasing the sounds but when they follow through a clearing Isaac drops back and stops. Scott and Jackson both look back confused but Isaac waves them on. "Keep going!" he yells as he begins circling the clearing.

Scott and Jackson race after and quickly realize they are heading uphill. "It's heading for the overlook!" Jackson roars anticipating victory.

Scott can't stop his own roar at the thought that they have the thing actually cornered. Breaking the trees both betas slam to a stop and stare around the overlook, the highest part of Beacon Hills looking out over the city in stunned silence. "Where'd it go?" Jackson snarls in frustration. "I swear we were right behind it!"

Scott just shook his head and stared in confusion remembering Boyd and Erica's eerily similar experience. "We did hear it though, right?" he asks and both of them search the area but there is no trace. No scents, no sign of anything big enough to make all that noise. Nothing. After searching for several minutes they finally head back to Isaac where they find the beta on his hands and knees moving around the field.

Isaac looks up and frowns at their expressions. "Got away?" he asks.

"Assuming it was ever there" Jackson replies obviously frustrated. "You know the girls will never let us forget this" he moans.

"It gets worse" Isaac says sympathetically.

"What do you mean?" Scott asks worriedly.

"It came through here right, we all heard it?" he asks and both of them agree easily. They were right behind whatever it was and they were following hard. If it had tried to avoid the clearing, they would have heard it. "Well, there is not a single track of anything but the three of us."

Both wolves looked at Isaac with matching frowns before Jackson finally recovered his voice. "That's impossible! We felt the damn thing running. We could feel its feet hitting the ground. There has to be tracks or something!"

"There's not. What's more? There are no broken branches or even bent grass that was not done by one of us. Whatever came through here didn't leave a single trace. The only scent, besides us, is the scent of the Preserve itself. In fact, it smells more like it rained earlier but it hasn't rained for several days" Isaac adds.

The three werewolves all stand around looking more and more confused. "What the hell are we dealing with?" Jackson finally mutters. Isaac and Scott nod in agreement but with nothing else they decide to cut their patrol short and report to Derek and Stiles. Maybe one of them can figure it out.