Aeson Fontenay was rudely woken by a scent he hadn't perceived in the last fourteen years. Bloodlust. It wasn't coming from just one person either, there was a crowd, it was enraged, it wanted to kill and it was heading to his house.
He sprang out of bed and through the oak doors that separated his room from his daughter's, once his sharp ears registered her gentle breaths he sighed in relief, quietly covering the little distance to her bed. Gisela was fast asleep.
Aeson smiled warily at his daughter's resting form, it was disheartening that at her age she still showed none of the traits expected of a werewolf; her eyesight and hearing were no different than that of the humans who lived in the holy land and although she was still too young to develop the powerful sense of smell their kind boasted, it was not hard to believe she never would. That was his secret, his daughter was a "stagnant". Pushing his thoughts aside, he adjusted the covers over her as the night was rather chilly. After making her as comfortable as possible, Aeson kissed her forehead and walked out to meet the crowd that had gathered at the door.
A sickening thought had taken root in the mind of the healer as to the cause of this gathering and although Aeson refused to believe it, he knew he was right.
Harald Ulfsson the vast, thirteenth alpha of the Iron woods pack, had died in his sleep.
The minute Aeson stepped out of his house, the mob descended on him. The healer offered no resistance as his arms and feet were bound, angry snarls and curses rang out into the night as the mob dragged the chained healer to the clearing where the pack elders were gathered, waiting to pass judgement on him. Not a single person struck him on the way to the clearing, unusual for a mob as large and as bloodthirsty as this one but Aeson was well aware that the only thing that held back the onslaught and stopped them from ripping him limb from limb the minute they laid hands on him was that murder and infighting within the pack was taboo. The only time a member of the pack could injure or take the life of another was when the council ordered it, and the fact that he was the pack's healer.
Up ahead large standing stones, each about thirty meters high, stood in a circle around a part of the forest that had no vegetation. Atop each of the stones large purple flames burnt brightly, in the center of this circle was an arched bench where the six oldest members of the pack sat. This was the clearing. Aeson was lowered to his knees before the council, the charges against him were treason and murder. The first councilman spoke,
"Aeson Fontenay, son of healers past and healer of days gone, as the moon is queen you have been accused of murder. Yesterday you poured mead to three persons, all of whom died with the day's sun," he paused, turning to face the crowd "Amongst them our alpha, Harald the vast.."
The scent of bloodlust seeped out from the crowd at the mention of those words, for among the packs of Ulfenheim, the land of wolves, it was taboo to kill one's alpha, even the cowardly humans who lived behind the walls of the holy land and the strange ones with pale faces who drank blood and hid from the sun did not freely kill their leaders. Aeson knew his trial would be short, he also knew the outcome, death for death. The councilman continued,
"The mouth of the mugs were lined with hemlock, as were the tonics you'd been feeding Harald as medicine." , the old man looked Aeson in the eye "What have you to say for yourself?"
Aeson remained silent, the question was just courtesy. The council had no intention of letting him live. He thought of Gisela. She was probably still asleep, hell couldn't wake the child up before noon. This simple thought brought a sad smile to his face. The crowd saw that smile and it drove them into a frenzy.
"Kill the murderer!!"
"Vengeance for Harald the vast!!!"
Some began to throw stones, amongst them was Lidia, her daughter was one of Harald's attendants who had also died tonight. A boy besides her, somewhere in his teens had already began to "shift", his blue eyes glowed as his face slowly contorted with the expansion of his jaw and teeth. Aeson could smell his hate. All the commotion was immediately silenced by the raise of the councilman's hand. He crouched in front of Aeson so they could look each other face to face, he repeated his question.
"Aeson Fontenay, what do you say for yourself?"
Aeson answered with a question of his own "What will you do to my child?"
The councilman's eyes softened lightly, he pitied the healer and pitied the child even more, she had lost her mother already. He stood and turned to the rest of the council.
"What do you say, fellow councilmen?"
Almost as if they shared one mind, the rest of the council spoke at once.
"The child of a murderer is a murderer. However these circumstances are quite troublesome. Gisela Fontenay is the only heir to the healers lineage. Unlike her father, her life is still of consequence to the pack. If the healer were to transfer Boris to his daughter, her life would be spared. We will ensure she lives peacefully amongst the pack and upon coming of age she will be allowed to find a mate amongst the sins of our pack, regardless of her father's sin,"
The crowd muttered to one another, some were in agreement to this while others were very dissatisfied. Soon arguments broke out within the crowd. The purple flames atop the standing stones roared as they increased in size, immediately silencing the crowd. The council continued.
"Should Gisela Fontenay live her days in service to the pack as it's healer and in due time replenish the healers lineage, she would be freed from her father's guilt" together the councilmen turned to face Aeson "Does this satisfy you, healer?"
Aeson remained silent.
The council watched him for a while before they rose from the bench. "Take him away, death for death"
Aeson answered silent as the crazed crowd rushed towards him, Gisela would be fine, he assured himself. She had Malaina, of course she'd be fine.
***
Sunlight crept into the room through the gaps in the curtain. Gisela was still asleep, there was a spiral tattoo on the back of her hand, Boris. It was believed to be the spirit of the healers, it carried thousands of years of knowledge on the use of herbs, concoction of tonics and cures to all forms of disease as well as knowledge of the mystic arts. Boris talked to the healer of his choosing and revealed varying degrees of wisdom to each healer, some more than others. But Boris could only transfer after the death of a healer. Gisela's amber eyes opened slightly, they scanned the room before falling on the mark on her hand. She closed her eyes again and tears streaked down her cheeks.
She knew.