Lunar Kiss 9

"I said no and that's final."
Luna frowned and sat on the couch.
"But it's not fair!" She whined.
"What's not fair?" Artemus asked as he sat on the creaky rocking chair he hand carved out of wood.
"He says I can't start training because I'm not physically ready." She crossed her hands and leaned back glaring at the grinning Andre.
"He said physical training not mental."

"What mental training?"
"You can access any memory of your ancestors, it's pretty complex but easy to achieve."
Andre excused himself and Artemus sat on the chair next to her.
"Lay down and imagine a gold path leading to a door."
She gave him a questioning look, then did as she was told.
The path was glowing and the door was inching open centimeter by centimeter.
Then, Luna was falling into a spiraling vortex and then darkness.
Remember Luna Remember what happened that day.....

The sound of a baby came from the room and Oden jumped up from his seat.
A maid exited the room and told him he could enter now.
He thanked her and she excused herself.
FaLuna was stroking the newborn baby with tenderness when Oden entered the room.
"She's beautiful my love." he breathed.
FaLuna put a finger to her mouth and he smiled as he silently approached her side.
"I just fed her she was mighty hungry I must say."
She was a cute pink and had a peach fuzz of blonde hair.
"What color eyes does she have?"

"She has my eyes and your hair, my button nose and your delicate cheeks."
He grinned and sat next to her the creaking board woke the baby and she began to cry and cry.
"Here sing her that lullaby you used to sing to the cubs."
He picked Luna up and walked slowly around the room.
The moon is full and the wolves run free;
through the evergreen forest that smelled of the sea;
The howls can be heard by a creature or tree;
But most of the time none will be seen;
When the sun starts to rise the wolves will recede;
Into their den's in the evergreen sea;

The sound of breathing could be heard and he glanced at his wife now asleep and Luna steadily breathing along.

The memory receded and another one popped to the surface.

"Are you ready?" Oden asked.
FaLuna stroked her hair once more before setting her silver brush on her dresser.
"I don't feel right leaving her here unprotected Oden."
Oden sighed for the tenth time.
"We already went over this FaLuna Andre and Kena are going to be protecting her until the Lunar Ritual is over."
She looked up into his black eyes and felt reassured.
"Yes, I'm ready."
When they rounded up the cubs(teenagers 15-18 of age)and entered the meadow the Lunar Eclipse was almost upon them.
"Gather round my children, 'Oden began the speech' tonight is a very special night for you will transform into your destined animal which has forever been the mighty wolf.'FaLuna picked up from where he left off, ' You might feel strange when the change happens but trust me there will be no pain."

Oden and FaLuna sat back and watched as their muscles began to reshape and their bones reform. A few of the girls squealed and the guys looked with fear in their eyes not wanting to act like a baby.
When the Lunar Eclipse was over they had learned what they would look like. Two black wolves one female and one male; two chestnut both girls; one gray female; and one pink a male.
The girls cooed over his color and the guys taunted him until Oden tapped them all on the back of their heads.
Howls sounded in the distance and FaLuna looked at Oden with a sense of despair.
"I told you we shouldn't have left her...."

She ran into the forest changing into her white wolf form. The cubs were told to run down the secret trail the pack would use in case of emergency.
Oden tried to send a message to FaLuna through their link but she was to far in.
When he actually made it to the village everything was in shambles burned to a crisp.
He ran up the draw bridge and up the stone stairs into the baby's corridor.
It reeked of humans and he ruffled his nose.
"FaLuna!"
His heart began to race and then he heard it; a baby's cry.
He ran out of the corridor and down into his and FaLuna chamber.
The place was torn up and there was a blood puddle behind the bed.
The baby began to cry again and Oden in his wolf form crouched and then leaped the distance to the bed.

What he found broke his heart.
Kena was shielding the baby still in her death.
He nudged her body over and picked Luna up gently with his muzzle.
Someone entered the room and Oden crouched low then smelling Andre's scent sat up.
"Andre...."
"I can smell her Oden you don't need to tell me."
Oden was torn between asking him where FaLuna was and speaking to him about Kenas death.
"The cubs?"

Andre looked away. "Dead."
Oden let out a breath and asked "FaLuna?"
Oden looked away "She led the humans into the forest she's not coming back Oden they were Ogaine." (Ogaine are the ancient assassins of the wolf clans.)
Oden let out a low whine and Luna began to struggle in his muzzle.
"Let's get to pack and reassemble."
Two white Ogaine came into the room and Andre growled.
"Take the baby Andre and go."
"Yes sire."
He grabbed the baby and leaped out the window never to return again.

The memory started to wisp away but she already knew the ending to the fight.
"Wake up Luna...."
Luna opened her eyes and looked at Artemus.
"Bring me Andre."