Chapter 26.5

Mabel stood with her ear pressed against the thick wood door that was used more often than the other. Of course, she could hear nothing. Sighing to herself, she turned back towards two sets of eyes that showed fear, pain, loss and love. Elias had been gone for hours. The children hadn't had their supper since she didn't know if it was wise to try and feed them with what was going on outside. She knew better than to make a bunch of noise, let alone, finish making supper that the smells could have easily caught whatever was outsides attention. Smiling at Oweynn and Sybil, she reached down for the little girl and playfully ruffled Oweynn's hair.

Sybil touched her cheek, trying get her attention and then touched her mouth indicating she was hungry. It's the most communication she'd seen the little one give since she'd arrived almost five months ago. According to Robert, Elias's Brother's bastard child had shown up on their door step and ended up living with them for a time. It wasn't until Elias's late wife was about to give birth to their fourth child that Marion had started showing signs that certainly would have alerted the adults suspicion if she hadn't been so good at keeping them hidden. One fateful night, events took place that allowed Marian to exact her revenge on the Bishop family, unfortunately for her - She'd been caught trying to drown little Sybil. Thankfully Thomas was able to distract her just long enough for Elias to interrupt and save Sybil's life. It was the only reason she felt that Elias allowed her presence on his farm and around his children for it was Mabel who'd taught him as a child to resuscitate someone. However, he still had to get her to the hospice in town and couldn't take Thomas with and Sybil, so he made the decision to leave Thomas behind.

She knew he still blamed himself for Thomas's death. She also knew Oweynn, too, felt responsible for his little brother's death and partially for his Mother's passing as well. None could convince either of them otherwise. Smiling at the little girl in her arms that she'd come to love and care for as her own daughter, she nodded in response and put her finger to her lips indicating they needed to be very quiet. She sat Sybil down on the floor in the sitting room and gestured to Oweynn to keep watch over his little sister before heading to the kitchen where she grabbed some bread from the bread basket and some cheese. Knowing Grace would be awake soon from how full/tender her bosom was, she knew it was almost light out. She was starting to understand the fear she saw in the children's eyes. Keeping a straight face, she marched back into the sitting room with a smile on her face hoping like hell her eyes didn't betray how she was really feeling.

Mabel gave them each some bread and cheese and went back into the kitchen to pour each a glass of cows milk that she managed to warm by the dying fire. She'd set them at the table and had just gotten when she thought she could hear the sounds of horses hooves pounding on the ground down the road. Her heart began to race has she strained to hear whether or not the rider, or wild horse - though she silently hoped it had a rider, was merely passing or visiting, but alas she heard nothing more.

Chapter 25 PART II

Crouched down behind one of the bushes on his farm, Elias silently stalked whatever made it's way upon his land. Law still stood firm on staying in doors after the sun set and without needing to, but out of habit, glance towards the sky he knew the moon was full tonight. Full Moon's were a treacherous sort. It brought out not only the worst kinds of people, but the things in which the law was made to keep people safe to begin with. Elias knew better than anyone that a Full Moon didn't stop a person cursed from taking the form of a wolf-man, or as Ole Tillie referred to them as, Werewolves. Its what Tristan and his nephew, Sebastian, would have certainly become if he hadn't handled matters that fatal day they had been attacked by William Hersh, who'd been cursed for Lord knows how long.



Turning his attention back on his livestock, he could see the animals herded into a corner in their pens. He could not only feel the fear radiating off of them, but he could hear it as well. The bleating lambs and mewing of the cows.. Elias knew a predator was among them, he just wasn't sure as to what it was exactly. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as did the hairs on his forearms. He knew whatever it was, it was dangerous and he very well could not make it back to the house. Fighting the urge to look back at what he knew was a house that would be black as pitch as all the windows were boarded/bared closed as were the two doors into his home, but he made it a point to snuff out all the lanterns outside and kick dirt into the fire under the spit Oweynn was turning supper on, so as to not draw the predators attention in that direction.

Keeping low, Elias stalked towards the animal pens and discovered blood on the ground around the pig pen that was still warm, fresh. Taking only seconds to confirm one piglet dead and one missing, Elias quietly pressed on not having time to stop and mend the fencing to keep any of the other pigs or piglets from escaping. He arrived at the edge of the Corn Field and the path to the family plot. He knew taking the time to check the plot could mean life or death for his family if the predator wasn't satisfied with the two piglets or other livestock, but he also knew the cons of heading into the Corn Field. It'd be very difficult to tread quietly and it would take time. Glancing back up at the Moon he tried calculating the time until the sun started to rise, lightening the dark sky with bright colors of Reds, Oranges and Yellows. He had about five hours to pursue, find, and kill it. Taking a deep breath, Elias made the decision to head into the Corn Fields.

 He hadn't been in the Fields but an hour, maybe more, when he heard the muffled sounds coming from 10 feet to the left of him. Silently, Elias crouched down below the leaves on the Corn Stalks and picked up speed hoping that whatever it was didn't catch his scent as he cursed at the winds for changing direction.







'Dear God,' Elias thought to himself, his heartbeat quickening as he took position with his bow and arrow. 'It's MASSIVE... bigger than Hersh!'

A Werewolf, standing four feet taller than Elias, was crouched over the missing piglet that seemed to still be alive as it played around with the poor thing. Finally giving in to temptation, or hunger, it sunk its teeth into the tiny body and with a twist, snapped the piglets neck ending any noise that further escaped its snout. As it started tearing the flesh and chunks of meat off its bones, Elias took aim. Just as he was about to release his arrow, the werewolf moved into a hunched position, making it difficult for him to get a clear shot. Elias unconsciously side stepped his foot landing on an ear of corn that was dropped or knocked from where it grew. The crunch of the tiny yellow kernels gave way his position. He watched as the werewolf locked onto his position, standing up he dropped the piglet from his jaws and let out a ferocious growl that sent shivers down Elias's spine. It spun around and took off in the direction of the house.



All he could think of were the faces of his children, of Mabel. He couldn't allow it to get too close! He'd risk life and limb to keep them safe from harms way and if that meant he died, then so be it. He no longer cared about being quiet anymore as he leap up and chased after the werewolf that probably outweighed him 10 to none. Just as Elias was almost clear of the Corn Field, panic in full swing as he pictured horrific images of his children and Mabel slaughtered dead in their home, he barely missed ducking in time as the Werewolf he was chasing swung down with open claws at his head. Tucking in towards himself, he rolled across the ground and was back on his feet. Bow and arrow raised at the beast before him who let out another treacherous howl.

'Don't think about who it was before, kill it now! Kill it before it can kill Oweynn, Sybil, Grace and  Mabel. Kill it so that it can't harm any one else's family. Kill it for Isolde.' He screamed at himself.






Not wasting time, he let the arrow fly as he reached back and grabbed another, positioned it and let it go, and again.




He'd let off four arrows before he registered that the howl had turned into a whimper. Stepping back, Elias took a fifth arrow and aiming it straight for the werewolf's head, Elias let it go and watched it as it sliced through the creatures eyeball and into it's brain.








Without giving pause, Elias took the blade from his boot and stabbed the beast in the chest, straight into his heart.

Once he was sure it was dead, he began cutting off its head.

[[Creators Note: All pictures edited by the lovely shortcakes over @ http://itsoceansecret.tumblr.com/ I want to take a minute to personally thank her for taking the time to not only edit all of these pictures, but she sent them to me after each one was done to make sure that it was correct and one with my story line. She is truly inspiring and I am so fortunate to be able to get to know her. I hope this is the beginning of a life long friendship! Thanks shortcakes!!!]]

Chapter 25.5 PART I

Elias stood watching his eldest son, Oweynn, as he tended the fire and turned the meat from today's catch on the spit. The tantalizing scents of the different spices and herbs Mabel used on them wafted in through the open window that could cause any man's mouth to salivate with hunger. He half smiled as he watched Oweynn and listened to the sounds of Grace cooing at Mabel as she fed from her breast. He didn't need to turn around to see that Sybil was probably either at the woman's feet playing or sitting next to her with her head in her lap. He'd be lying to himself if he said that the red haired woman's arrival hadn't been a blessing, which it had. Grace wasn't but five days old and still refusing to nurse on Goat or Cow's Milk when Mabel barged into his home after he'd answered the door to tend to his infant daughter. He still had mixed emotions about Mabel as he still deeply loved his late wife, Isolde, but he knew that without her he would have also lost Grace.

He turned back to working on shaping a small bow for Oweynn, shaking his head at the memories of Mabel's first arrival. He hadn't wanted her there. He didn't want her taking care of him or his children. It wasn't until Robert had arrived two weeks after Mabel that he fully understood what her being there had meant. He faintly recalled Robert expressing his concerns after Isolde's death and just before Mabel's arrival about Elias's state mentally/emotionally and the well-being of his grand children as Robert explained to him again that she was intended to be his wife. Elias, for the first time he could remember, had completely come undone. Robert had been there and he held the man he considered his son as he wept and screamed and let out the pain he'd been  holding in since losing his son and his wife.

"She'll never be Isolde, Robert. I could never love another woman the way I loved my wife. Trust me, I've tried. I left remember? I was gone for years before coming home and I never once looked at another woman, never once loved another woman, as I did her." Elias all  but whispered to the man he once called Father. Now he wasn't so sure if he was still allowed to do that seeing as his reason behind calling him Father was buried in the family plot.

Sighing, Robert knelt down next to Elias on the ground. "Elias, Isolde wouldn't want you to end up like I did after loosing her Mother and my unborn child to the plague. She wouldn't want to see her children..." He stopped himself from finishing what he was about to say, sighing again and turning to look at the sun setting in the distance before continuing. "Mable is a good woman. She understands loss and pain. She also can help you with your daughters. Grace needs her and so does Sybil. If you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for your children. Give them a Mother who can be here for them to care for them in ways you cannot. Teach them things that you cannot."

"I don't want another Wife, Robert!" Elias stated through gritted teeth. Anger taking over anguish.

"Want and need are not necessarily the same thing, my son." He gripped Elias's shoulder firmly, his hands weathered with his old age were still rough and strong from working in the mill and his land. "I am not asking you to love her. I am asking you to love your children and give them what they need... and to help out a poor woman who's own child and husband passed."
Elias looked up at the man who's somber expression made him feel ashamed of the hatred and anger he felt towards this woman. "Wh.. uhm..."

Robert held up his hand, dropping his voice low he told Elias what had happened. Mabel was a Doctor. She'd been pregnant and given birth to a healthy baby boy and had stayed home with him as long as she could before the demand of caring for other people called upon her to leave him at home with her husband. She'd been in town at the hospice when the fire had started, by the time word had gotten back to her about it - Mabel had been too late. Her home had been engulfed with flames and the screams of her husband could be heard for miles as he slowly burnt to death along with their son. Mabel, instead of being crippled from loss, buried her son and husband or what they could find of them and returned to work caring of other people. She wasn't heartless, many people could account for seeing her crying when she was by herself or shedding tears while she was working over small children. She was grieving the only way she knew how and using that grief to care for those she could help.

Elias's thoughts were interrupted by Sybil's crying. He dropped the bow on the table and without even looking to see if Mabel was still breastfeeding Grace, ran into the next room and scooped his daughter up into his arms, holding her close and making soothing sounds to console her. He could hear Mabel's light footsteps upstairs as she went to lay Grace down. He leaned his head back to look at his daughters tear streaked face and smoothed her hair back off her forehead. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

Sybil simply shook her head, still refusing to speak. He could hear Mabel as she started towards the staircase, what he couldn't hear is what started his concern. Elias pressed his daughters head to his chest and kissed the top of her head as he strained to hear outside. He could make out the sounds of the fire crackling, the handle of the spit turning, but he no longer could hear the animals making any sounds. Mabel approached them quietly, as was her nature - soft and quiet, and absently he passed Sybil to her which caught her attention immediately. The look on Elias's face put her on alert, her eyes darted to one of the windows closest to where they were, but she made no move to approach it.
Cradling tiny Sybil to her breast, Mabel reached towards Elias, grasping his arm. Elias's eyes immediately looked to her small, soft hands on his arm then to her face. Her eyes were wide and he could tell she wasn't breathing. He could literally feel her fear hitting him like a horse kicking you in the chest. She tore her eyes away from the window and looked  at him with, tears filling her eyes, "Oweynn's still outside."

Elias grabbed her hand and held his finger to his mouth and pointed to Sybil who gripped Mabel's dress as if her life depended on it. Mabel immediately pulled her hand from Elias and pressed the little girl to her, holding her tightly as she quietly headed upstairs. Elias walked back into the kitchen to look out the window to see that Oweynn, still turning the spit, was looking off in the direction of the animals. He too aware something was amiss. Elias went to the door and quietly opened it far enough to ease out of the house, but made no motion to open it any further. He felt her presence without hearing her and looked away from his son long enough to acknowledge Mabel and to motion her to bar the other door and windows.

Elias turned his attention back to his son, who was now standing straight no longer bothering with turning the meat. Sensing his Father's presence, Oweynn looked to him for direction. Elias nodded to him, setting Oweynn in motion. He quietly grabbed the spic with the speared meats and vegetables using two cloths to protect his hands and walked as quietly as possible back inside the house. Moments later he reappeared at the door to hand his Father his bow and sheath of arrows. Elias placed his hand on his sons shoulder after accepting his weapon and nodded to him, kissing him on the top of his head. He waited until he heard Mabel help Oweynn bar the door before he set off to hunt whatever threatened his family and his farm.