The Nymph of Black Forest
Chapter 21 ~ I went in search of Ava

It’s been a week of preparing..studying the map of Satin Springs. I’m waiting for Owen to come home and let us know what he’s observed. I collected some more Luna’s fern. We have been making it into a tea. The pack drinks at least a cup a day. Their immunity to silver is building.

Adele has been teaching Edward how to control fire.. he’s gotten pretty good.. he can set a fire wall…and he can create a ring of fire. Theo, on the other hand, can throw fireballs.. fashion weapons of fire..knives..swords.. even arrows. And he is training to fight with it.

Derek obtained earth element.. and he communes with creatures.. He is so engrossed in talking to the animals sometimes, we have to go look for him. The other day, he was consorting with the enemy! And Dexter was happily telling him ALL about the stupid things I did when I was younger. We have been working on Derek’s ability to convince the earth to do what he wants..or asks of it. He has been able to open trenches..some a mile long.. the depth and width he has achieved is impressive! The other day, he had a trench a quarter mile wide.. and easily two hundred feet deep. But he knows something of that magnitude can only be asked in a great emergency. It’s too dangerous for the earth to shift shapes too often. Derek agrees and says he prefers to fight the old fashioned way…

We have three women in our cells. Derek and Edward are leaning toward letting Anita and Tammy becoming lone wolves, if what Tammy has told us is verified. Donna, on the other hand, Adele has found, she was enthralled by Leonard. She was a tool..and until Leonard is dead… she remains under his control. Edward doesn’t want to execute them..any of them. He told us he doesn’t want to be known as a heartless King. He wants his children to learn compassion and empathy. He’s adamant it starts in their home.

Owen was back two days later. Leonard isn’t at Satin Springs..he headed south, and Otto is following to try and replace out what he is up to. Derek decided we are striking tonight. He and Edward are causing a distraction on the eastern side of the pack. They will initiate it with several of Adele’s plant bombs..and Edward will control the burn. Shawn and I are taking twenty troops only..our plan is to take out the guards on the seven families.. then get the families to vehicles.. moving them all to Mountain Moon. Edward is worried they are under an enthrallment.. Adele doesn’t believe so..she explained that if they were, they wouldn’t need to be held captive! Which makes sense.

We headed out just after dark.. knowing we had over an hour travel time. Derek and I are in the front vehicle..leading the line. Monty is singing ‘On the Road Again’ off-key as hell..but funny.. except it made Shawn’s wolf Bentley.. howl.. and even though Shawn kept apologizing, and I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.. Monty persisted with his awful singing..until Derek made him stop..or he could walk. Monty grumbled about us not appreciating good music, while Shawn thanked Derek..because Bentley stopped the howling. We were actually all grateful! A wolf howling in a closed vehicle is deafening!

We pulled the vehicles to a stop..two miles from the Northern border of Satin Springs..separating into our fighting parties. I waited fifteen minutes, with my team.. before we started jogging towards our destination. Derek’s team needed a head start because they had further to travel. I flitted to the trees and started making my way to the cabins. Once I was in position, we waited to hear the first blast. It sounded and I saw the flash.. I started firing on the guards, and Shawn directed the ground troops..within minutes, the guards were down and we were hustling the families away from the cabins and into the trees. We marched 22 people to the vehicles, arriving at the same time as Edward and Derek returned.

The return trip was quiet.. the people we rescued were confused and worried. I tried to reassure them, but the presence of the King was upsetting to them. Especially Tammy’s family. I explained that their rescue was, in part, due to Tammy being caught..and their stories of events will go a long way towards Tammy’s fate.

We reached home, and I ushered everyone into the infirmary to check them over. I especially wanted to look at Tammy’s father. We might be able to help him..maybe even cure the silver poisoning that is affecting him. Tammy’s little sister Ava is extremely introverted..she hides behind her mother..shaking if a man gets too close. There’s a story there. A fourteen year old girl shouldn’t be this frightened.

Adele came in, and rushed over to me. She whispered “The girl.. she’s gifted. A healer. Her parents won’t let her tell anyone, and she is terrified that if anyone replaces out, they will kill her. I need to separate her from her mother.” I nodded..walking up to the mom..asking her to step into the room I have her husband in..while Adele looks the children over. I hear her tell Ava to not open her mouth.

I explain to both parents what I want to do. That opening the old wound and drawing the silver from it, will help him regain most of his strength. The mother was skeptical and demanded to know who I am..why they should believe we want to help.. what gave us the right to remove them from their homes. Her voice rising an octave with every word. Derek steps into the room and loudly demands “Stand Down! You rank as Omega and dare to raise your voice to my Luna? As to MY right! Your daughter, Tammy, is mate to one of my pack members! She told us your were all in danger.. all seven families were essentially hostages of Leonard Connors! Now, are YOU telling me differently? Your attitude certainly indicates differently! There will be guards outside this hospital room until you can be debriefed and I replace out what’s really behind all this!” He stormed out and I smirked at the woman “I could have told you that was going to happen! But it’s always more fun to just watch!” The father speaks “Luna, my name is Will..my mate here is Peggy. It has been a rough five months and trust is hard to come by. I appreciate everything you have done.. and are doing. Please, I would like it, if you try to improve my health. I apologize for my mate’s runaway tongue”

I smile, patting his arm “You needn’t ever apologize for the actions of others. As for helping you, I am more than happy to do that. Your mate, on the other hand, seems to have a habit of jumping to conclusions and judging before the facts are presented.” I turn to Peggy “Tell me, Peggy.. when did Ava’s abuse start? What age was she, when you forced her to be ashamed of her gift? Why did you take away her choice to have a voice!?” Will interrupts me “What do you mean? Ava is just very shy. What gift? Peggy, what is she talking about?”

I scoffed “That’s not shyness Ava exhibited in the corridor. That was fear! Your daughter is gifted..a natural healer. And when our Oracle took the children to be examined..Peggy threatened Ava to keep her mouth shut. So, I am curious as to why!” Will looked at his mate and growled “You have some explaining to do! Start talking! Now!” Peggy started to cry.. “They will use her! Probably kill her! I had to force her to bury her curse! She’s a freak and I didn’t want anyone to know! There’s something wrong with her!”

Will could do nothing but stare “Who are You? I don’t even recognize you! What have you done? I swear to our Goddess, Peggy, if I replace out you had anything to do with what happened to Tammy.. if I replace you have abused Ava.. I will reject you..and our bond! You are her mother! Why was I not made aware of her gift? Why was I not told?” She screamed “she would have healed you! You would still be a warrior! Risking your life every day for wolves who don’t care if we lived or died! I couldn’t lose you! I won’t!”

Well! Fuck! There’s a can of worms I just opened! I told Will.. “I can open the old wound..but I would like to bring Ava in..and teach her how to use her gift! She has been blessed with the ability to help people and it’s time she learns it isn’t a curse” He nodded and said “Please” while Peggy screamed “NO! I won’t allow it.” I opened the door and told the guard to remove Peggy from the room. Then I went in search of Ava.