Chapter Four: The White Council

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Tara loped to a stop in her wolf form near where she and Celina had hidden their clothing. She turned and watched Devon stop before she began towards the tree. He followed her until she stopped and glared at him over her shoulders with her ears pinned. He grumbled in his throat and watched her disappear into the brush. He waited a moment before he trotted to another brush away from the females.

Devon came out into the clearing under the village wearing dark brown leather trousers and a loose cream button-up shirt. The two females came out fully clothed and in human form as well.

“Devon will take you to get ready. I’ll see you after the meeting.” Celina smiled comfortingly.

Tara’s eyes moved from Devon and back to her companion quickly. “Ready?”

“The gallery of the council must be hidden as they watch.” Devon sighed.

“Devon will take care of you.” Celina’s gaze shifted to him slowly.

Celina walked over to the massive trunk of the center tree and traced over the cluster of knots that resembled a rose. The center seemed to blossom out and push out a small crystal ball. It rolled around, seemingly inspecting all three, and then pulled back in and let the knots close. A small spot began to glow in a silvery light in the trunk from behind the cracks of the bark and created the shape of an open gateway.

“Come on, before anyone sees.” Celina nodded to them.

She ran at the spot, beginning to glow in the same light until she was seemingly made of it, and right into the trunk. She disappeared into it, absorbed into the light.

“What magick is this?!” Tara cried with wide eyes.

“It’s only white magick, there’s no need to worry.”

Tara stared at him a moment before she centered her stare on the spot. She ran towards it quickly, the silvery light taking over her and warming her flesh. Her body became hot and tingly as she ran into the gateway and felt as through she would burst into flames. There was an incredibly bright flash of light as suddenly she was back to normal and running towards Celina in the main hall. She slowed to a jog as she looked around and then stopped in front of her. Behind her was a carved out gateway that matched the other with its size and swirled design. The center was black and looked as though it were hidden in shadow, witch Devon ran out of a second later.

Devon nodded towards a wide stairwell and led Tara up to a smaller chamber with many hanging robes and clothing. He climbed up a small ladder to a higher rack of black robes and pulled different items down. Tara caught an armload of clothing as he tossed them down to her and then jumped off of the ladder with his own pile. He glanced at her a moment before he walked behind one of the many paper screens set up at the edges of the room. She chose another on the other side of the chamber and zipped off her long coat.

Tara held up a small black pair of very loose thin trousers with ribbons at the side of the pant legs. She pulled them on and was surprised to find that they were completely open down the sides, but quickly realized what the ribbons were for and tied them above her ankles, knees, and hips. There was a loose sash of fabric falling from the back so she wrapped it around her waist to keep the baggy pants from falling down. Next she held up a black sleeveless top that closed in the front with beautiful metal latches. She pulled it on and locked all the exotically designed clasps with a small smile.

She stepped out fully dressed to see Devon waiting for her in the same attire. He also had a very long black cloak draped off of his exposed shoulders with a split up the sides for his arms and a platinum crescent moon crest in the front to keep it on. She walked over to him and he draped a matching cloak over her and clasped the front.

“There, now you look like a member of the council gallery.” he nodded to her. “Wear this when we get to the gate.”

Devon handed her small wrapped up sheer fabric with beaded netting in the center. She took it and looked at it curiously.

“Come on, we want to get good seats.” he took a hold of her tiny wrist and led her back down into the main hall.

“Um…” Tara meekly spoke.

“What is it?” Devon looked over his shoulder at her as he led them up a side stairwell to the upper level.

“I was just wondering why we must hide our identities… I hate to do things blindly…”

“About a hundred years ago during a council meeting of the tribes, one of the highest ranking elders in the Oft clan was being influenced in his decisions by a younger wolf maid of his in the gallery. He helped in the ruling against unification of the clans.”

Tara looked confused. “Wouldn’t bringing peace to the clans make her happy, though?”

“Maybe, if she was just a member of a clan. She was a local rogue who owned a weapon smith shop. At that time the clans were at constant war and her shop was one of the best in the area. If there was a sudden peace agreement, she would have been placed in the poor house.”

“What would he care? He’s an elder.”

Devon half smiled. “He was in love with her.”

He stopped in front of a large old metal gate that was in front of a tall thin pair of wooden doors.

“What is it?” Tara inquired.

“We’re here. We must be silent from here on out.” he whispered.

She nodded as Devon opened the gate and led them towards the doors. They paused a moment to lay the black netting over their hair and let the sheer black fabric fall over their faces. Tara pulled her over sized hood up and let it lay around her face.

“Watch your step.” he whispered.

He pushed the doors open and outside was a garden built into the leaves of the tree. They walked across the twisted branches that had formed a path upward. At the end of the path was a small area secluded by thick leaves all around it. Devon tapped her shoulder and pointed up into the tough vines that were draped around the area. Tara nodded and leapt up to one of them and sat down. He looked over his shoulder at the approaching shadows and leapt up with her where he pulled his own hood up just as she did before.

Soon the other branches were filled with shrouded figures all in matching attire. The sun had set and the moon was beginning to rise. The cloaked wolves blended into the dark foliage so that only the twinkle of their crescent crests could be seen like stars in the night sky.

A metal basin in the center of the clearing below sizzled a little before the clear oils inside burst into golden fire. The flames jumped and danced around, throwing up a wave of red embers. Tara held back a gasp when a bird of golden fire emerged from the center of the hearth and lifted into the air with the fleck of red. The bird fell back in midair and landed in an explosion of light to form a tall figure cloaked in white.

The figure in white held his down sleeved arms over the fire and sent a colorful explosion of embers into the air leaving the fire a pure white. The gold and orange specks of light fell slowly to the bottom level where they became the other members of the council. Their identities were hidden under white cloaks with feathery sleeves and over sized hoods. Under the hoods they wore a bone mask over their eyes that was sculpted to their face and had strands of thin gold beads draped over the bottom of their faces.

“Welcome, my brothers.” said the first figure, who stood at the center of the other members. “This council will help determine the remaining duties of the village before the first snow.”

The others bowed slightly to him and then sat in place in one smooth motion on the round cushions at their feet. The male in the center bowed in return before stepping onto the low platform at the center of the circle and sat.

“The first order of business will be heard from the medicinal healers.”

One of the figures stood from the circle and bowed low to him. “Thank you elder. I have prepared a list of herbs and roots we will need to replenish for the cold weather. Our stock is low on most everything because of the fevers and irregular sicknesses this past summer.”

“Thank you, Naeri, the elders will distribute the list to the clan in the morning and our herb cabinets will be full for the cold weather.” The male in the middle motioned his hand to the female and she took her seat. “Next order of business will be heard from the border runners.”

A large built figure stood from the circle and bowed low. “The Fae seem to be laying low these days. There hasn’t been much mischief or thieving. That doesn’t mean this year’s Savhain should be celebrated without caution. As always we will tie the ribbons and bells around our loved ones, and have a dinner set up in the main hall. Everyone in the village should have finished any business they may have had in the forest by the night before. Come an hour before midnight, we’re going to be locking the entrance ways and covering the windows. The village with be secured until the afternoon after Savhain.”

The elder nodded to him and the large male took his seat. The cloaked male beside him stood and bowed low before speaking.

“The dark city that sits near our Southern borders seems to have lost much of their livestock recently. If anyone is in the woods at night we advise more caution than usual. The vampires may come looking for any stragglers of their lost food supply and may attack if they feel threatened.”

“The children of darkness haven’t bothered us since taking that city and I do not think they will advance in any battle against our village. Although we cannot speak for all of their kind any more than we can every one of ours, we shall travel in small groups while taking care of any affairs in the woods.” The elder spoke up before her motioned to the male to sit. “Now, is there any other new business the council would like to bring to light?”

A smaller cloaked figure looked around at the others before standing in place and bowing low. “I was informed earlier this week that the Thronnos Rokke clan is moving in on more of our hunting territory. What do the elders plan to do about this?”

“We will allow it, it is only a few yards at the edge of the boundaries where no one travels.” He waved her away.

“Allow it? Why in the heavens would you allow them to take more of the hunting grounds deemed ours in the great council?”

“It is only a few yards-”

“They’ve moved the lines nearly a mile in since the Spring. At this rate the village will be under Magnus and his iron rule.”

A wave of whispers moved over the council members in a panicked tone.

“That is quite enough young Ulfric, there is no need to start false rumors while I’m overseeing this council. Magnus and the Thronnos Rokke clan are not interested in our village or any others. I think we all know they have become hedonistic and do not bother themselves with the problems or approval of others. Now, you have been dismissed. Do not speak of your old clan again unless you are declaring yourself Fenrir to the current Ulfric, Magnus!”

The smaller figure stood in silence a moment before dropping to the pillow at her feet. In the gallery, Tara’s icy black gaze stayed on the now humbled individual. The council wrapped up affairs while she sorted through all the thoughts flooding her head.

The voices and memories of the events since her promise to her brother were silenced. ‘Did he say Ulfric… of the Thronnos Rokke clan…?’