A Chosen Daughter

Chapter 18*E

"Hey!  Hey!  Hey!  Finish catching us up then argue .... we can join in then!" Amber states, quickly raising her hands in surrender to Leah's glare.
"So ..." Kate intervenes "you were telling us about a belief the chosen daughters have had for the last two generations but not had" her tone carries a whimsical note that Leah can't resist smiling at.  Kate smiles mischievously in response to Leah's tilted nod.   "Yeah" Leah agrees amusement clear in her voice, then she sighs softly "Two generations ago, a chosen daughter bore witness when an oracle had a vision .... one that depicted a day of reckoning!  The day will come for all the races, but the day of judgment will be called for the wolves first ... we were the first race to step outside of her light and the first to have individuals leave her pathways, to mistreat and reject her gifts, so it is deemed fitting we would be the first to be judged." Many of the gathered wolves blush with shame.  "On the day of reckoning a wolf will be called upon to cast judgement.  This poor soul will have had to endure, those most tainted by the darkness; suffer at the hands of those most driven by lust, greed, power.  The oracle stated that her trials would be worse, than the worst nightmares one could have .... she endures this evil, so she can see the light in others more clearly.  On the day the dice of judgement are cast, she will judge if we are a race deserving of existing or if we have ran our course and our evil should be prevented from continuing."

Complete silence.

Not a breath.

Not a shuffle. 

Nothing.

Thick tension hangs in the air.  So thick the sharpest knife would never dent it.  No one moves.  No one speaks.  It's as if they all hold their breath, too shocked and afraid to move.  Matt breaks the spell by loudly exhaling "Woah!" Leah studies her brothers shocked face "So ... So your saying the time of reckoning has come?" Leah nods.  "Fuck!" He quietly says on another exhale.

Michael clears his throat "The whole of us as a race will be judged?"  Again Leah nods.
"By someone who will spend the majority of her life, being hurt by the biggest arseholes we have to offer?" Kate questions
"That does not sound promising!" Amber whispers
"Sounds like utter bullshit!!" Arron explodes "We will all be judge by one whose had the shitiest life!  Been hurt the most!  Like she won't just write us all off!!  Why should we be judged by one like that and not the Goddess herself?!"

Leah growls at him in warning.

"He has a point Leah!" Marie snarls
"Marie!" Sophie reprimands shocked
"What?!  It's true!!  Just think about the situation you are currently in Sophie!!  It's all because of situations like this!!" Marie defends.  Sophie gasps along with many in the garden.  "You mean because of people like me!" Maya sobs, Marie turns to sneer at her "If the shoe fits right?!"
"Marie!" Leah warns.  Maya and many others in the garden crumple into a broken mess.
"What?!" Marie turns on Leah "It is because of people like them that we're all doomed!  We're going to die just cuz some have no control over themselves!!"
"Just like you are showing no control right now?!" Sophie once more reprimands.  Marie turns back to her growling.  Daniel growls at her in response.  His body is tense, as he positions himself between Marie and Sophie.  Sophie blinks in surprise at Daniels back as Marie scoffs at him "What? You care about your mate now?"  He growls again at her.

"You are out of line!" Leah tells her sternly.
Marie turns again towards Leah, her expression fighting between shock and anger. "How can you say that?!"
"Easily! You.  Are.  Out.  Of.  Line!" Leah says slowly and pointedly.
"How am I out of line?!  It's the truth!" Marie spits out "What else am I to say or do? You said yourself it's over!!  We can do nothing!"  Leah shifts her head, her face still as stone, her voice tight with anger when she responds "I never said it was over!  That we can do nothing!  I said we have already passed the opportunity to prevent!!  That is not saying it is over or that we can do nothing!  Just that the time of prevention, maybe even of defending has past!  The plan of action will have to change accordingly."
Marie scoffs "oh? Really?" She looks down her nose at those around her "So tell me now how is it I'm out of line, for pointing out I'm to be judged and to die among scum like this?!" 

Leah growls angrily.

Before anyone can register her hand had even moved Marie is flying backwards holding a hand to her shocked reddening face.