Aednat and the Wolf

Chapter 33 Family Forever

It was chaos in the lodge as everyone hugged and tears were shed. David's parents and grandparents were also there hugging Rosemary. Aednat moved slowly, cautiously through the happy reunion with David holding her hand. Greta ran up to give her a hug then scampered off. Then unable to hold back Aednat ran to her parents embracing both of them. Sobbing so hard she was unable to speak at first and unwilling to relinquish her embrace.

"I never thought I would see you again!" Aednat sobbed.

"The hardest thing I ever had to do was letting go of you," Abigale said.

"Why? Why did you?"

"It was the only way I could keep you save. Nothing we did to hide you or protect you worked. The Overlord came right into room and killed ten guards to get to you. Eric was almost killed that night."

"I remember," Aednat whispered.

"I'm not sure why the Overlord wanted you, or what he thought he would gain."

"The Overlord is dead, David and Eric defeated him. I discovered the secret of the pendant, of all the pendants."

"There is more than one?" Abigale asked. Aednat gave her mother a full rendition of the four pendants and of her capture and escape. David quietly stood with her and held her hand.

"Come find a seat," Gert announced, "We have dinner ready."

"OH MOM, deer brats!" Aednat said, "You'll love them." Aednat's family sat together and Rosemary sat with Eric smiling and holding hands.

"Is this the young lady you were telling us about?" Abigale quietly asked Eric.

"I think it's obvious they like each other," Greta added.

"I plan to ask her family permission to marry her," Eric whispered.

"Let me ask!" Rosemary said laughing. "HEY! Parental units! I want to marry Eric!" the result was silence for several seconds. Then Ruth spoke.

"Not until you finish high school and turn eighteen."

"Aediy was seventeen," Rosemary said.

"Eighteen," her father said firmly.

The next day David drove Aednat and Rosemary to Ted's garage. "Do you think you can destroy these?" Aednat asked as she handed Ted two of the pendants.

"I'm sure I can melt them," Ted said. He used an acetylene torch on the pendants and reduced them to a puddle of molten metal.

"I thought you said there were four pendants," Eric said.

"We decided to keep ours," Rosemary replied smiling.

"Did you talk to Mom and Dad?" David asked Rosemary.

"They aren't happy about it. But I can stay you guys for now. And I can marry Eric when I'm eighteen."

"Is that what you want?" David asked softly.

"No. I really don't want to wait, but Eric agreed with the parents."

"It will be hard," David said. "We will be living in a different world. A very different world I understand."

"Then I'll just need to introduce some new ideas!" Rosemary said smiling deviously.