Talarine: Ally to the Angels

Chapter 8

Tal looked out over the land with the view being the usual. She let a memory of her past pop up and allowed it to be remembered by her as she awaited word from Xypherius.

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A nineteen year old Tal was arguing with her Adopted father, a bitterness had grown between them as he showed that he favored Drake over her. Drake had transformed shortly after turning sixteen and Tal was upset at what her 'father' was doing. "Don't lie to me!" Tal screamed as Drake and their mother watched from the sidelines. "You never cared if I ever transform! I've seen how you are treating Drake! You favor him over me!" Tal snapped as she opened the door allowing her cloak to billow around her. "Don't you dare stop me!"

"Talarien Gracelin!" Her father growled. "Come back here this minute!"

Tal shouted something vulgar at him as she slammed the door behind her and yanked up her hood as she raced through the storm that assulted the town she lived in. She zipped past Alexander who called out to her, but she ignored him as enraged tears streamed down her cheeks; She didn't want anything to do with anyone from here even as he raced after her only to stop as she sped up. When she lost him her cloak whipped around her in its own angry way, and she stopped on a hill that over looked the town. She looked back once then continued on her way as Alexander went to his father; Tal ran and ran as her tears of rage turned to tears of saddness, she continued until she reach The Great Ocean and stopped as she noted how the storm was not touching this place and saw the sun glistening over the sparkling waters. She heard the slapping of the water against the pointed and smooth rocks. "How?... How is this possible?"

"This is the calm in the storm." A voice answered causing her to look over at a man walking up. "This is where the storm refused to touch. Lower your hood child and enjoy the sunset. Enjoy the last rays of light and feel the joy of a calming sunset." The man smiled at her. She did not recognize him and wondered why he was freely speaking with her.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled, "I am a friend. Let me see who you are and I will tell you something." Tal removed her hood and the man's smile grew wider. "Young and very beautiful, the picture of the serenity of the moon in her full glory."

"Now you are scaring me." Tal spoke ready to move away from him.

"Oh no need to fear me child. I am just glad to see the moon-child, though I know I will not ever see the Sun-child."

"Do what?"

"The Sisters of Sun and Moon. Sisters not by blood but by choice. You are the moon, she will be the sun. I have seen this much; One a wolf the color of night with hair that is a beautiful black with blue highlights,the other an Angel with golden hair as bright as the sun. The sisters as different as night and day." Tal watched the man and believed him crazy. "You will see one day. You will met her and you will think back to this evening." With that the man turned and walked away leaving Tal completely confused.

"What in the Burning Hells?" Tal asked outloud as something broke the surface of the ocean and she turned to watch with wide eyes and a smile as she watched dolphins dance in and out of the water. Alpha's voice cut through her thoughts as he walked up to her and for a while both watched the dolphins play. When he asked her if she was ready to go home she looked to him with worry.

"Don't worry, I have spoken to your father. He will not show favoritism again." Only when he spoke those words did Tal agree to go home. Three days later, she ended up shifting from human to wolf and joined Alpha's pack.

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When Tal returned from her thoughts, she noticed that Alcander was waving his arms about trying to get her attention. She left the cliff and went to her nephew.

"Aunt Tal, I can't find mommy." He spoke trying not to cry. Tal pulled him close and lifted her head to gain the attention of the pack. Alpha was told and a search party sent, but the only signs of her was a piece of cloth, her herb gathering basket and the scent of demons. Tal moved Duston and Alcander to her house but when their mother was found, Tal could only shake her head and the boys watched her with tears in their eyes; Tal knew exactly who had done it, causing the boys to be orphans and it only strengthened her resolve to stop Cara before it was to late.

When Xypherius appeared in her Sanctuary she told him what had happened and he was torn between rage at the demon and Cara and his sadness for the now orphaned twin boys. "Xypherius, I cannot abandon them. They may not be related to me by blood but they are still my nephews."

"I know but what can we do for them?"

Tal looked sad now, "I honestly don't know. I don't want them to be alone but I know we cannot truly care for them as we will be too busy with other things." Tal wanted to cry and felt the flowers around her reach out to comfort her one cluster of Moonflowers in particular managed to reach up to her waist in an embrace. She looked to the flowers and knew they sensed her sadness.

"They sense your sadness?"

"Yes the flowers here are a part of me. If I am sad they will know and will attempt to comfort me." Tal spoke without really knowing why she said those words. For her this place was beauty, this was the night in her full glory, with a full moon high in the sky, fields covered with flowers, the lake she had created with Anaurael's help glistening with the dancing moonlight and the gazebo's pillars covered in the midnight roses that glowed with a bioluminescence of their own. "I remember when the boys were nothing more then babies. When I saw them I couldn't help but fall in love with them as their aunt. I can't leave them without anyone to care for them."

Xypherius did not speak but pulled her close. "I promise we will not leave them alone until we figure out what can be done for them."

"I hope so Xypherius, I really hope so."