Taming the Queen of Beasts

RETH

It was shock, Reth reminded himself. His own immediate response when Gahrye told them had been a surge of anger too. Anger was powerful. It didn't feel helpless. It didn't hesitate, or reveal weakness.Â

It was instinct.Â

So, instead of snarling back at his son, Reth held Gar's gaze and waited.Â

Gar stared back, hard, as the others started talking to each other, Elia trying to quietly soothe Elreth,  while Aaryn looked on, eyes sad and pleading.

  "What is it, exactly, that you have to do?" Elreth demanded in the same tone she'd used as a child when she hadn't understood why her father had to take a trip to see the Bears that she'd been told were so dangerous.Â

Elia went rigid and Reth's instincts urged him to step between her and the danger she faced. But he couldn't.

Holy fuck. He couldn't save her from this.Â

While Gar continued to glare at him, Reth put his hand on Elia's shoulder. He couldn't save her from the voices, but he could save her from falling apart.Â

"Your mother has a unique purpose, given by the Creator's hand," he said solemnly. "It is... her road to walk. What you need to know is that she is bold, and strong, and she can do it. But it will be painful. So please... don't force her to recount it to you. The steps she takes will have no bearing on any of yours until she's successful. So pray with me that she is."

"Of course," El wailed. "But--"

"No buts, El. There's no time to drag this out and examine it, and I won't put your mother through that. What we, as a family, have to face is that we will each be fighting this war on a different front, and we can't know where it will take us. So, we have to make the most of the time we have."

"You're saying she's going to die?" His daughter's voice was so small, Reth's heart cracked a little wider.Â

"I'm saying we're walking into war and I won't do that without acknowledging the risks," he replied.Â

Gar's face remained hard, but Reth sensed the shift in him--a resistance to what he was hearing, rather than defiance outright. He gave both his children and their mates a moment of his attention, praying they each saw both his plea for mercy for their mother, and his compassion.Â

thus wasn't going to be easy for any of them.

"You all have tasks as well, and we know that. Walk into them with certainty that we are doing everything in our power to make sure you will succeed. We will..." he faltered. They'd talked about this as they returned to the cave. It had seemed only practical, but now the words lodged in his throat as he looked into the eyes of his young and it came home to him that his chances to do this... to speak and hold and offer were growing short.Â

Help me, he prayed. How do I find the strength to leave them in this?Â

He cleared his throat.Â

"We will speak with each of you one on one tonight. Go about your tasks. We will find you," he murmured, his head swimming with visions he didn't want to see. Final words, final embraces.Â

He felt the pain of this physically and it stole his breath.Â

"You're loved," Elia blurted suddenly and everyone's attention shifted to her and her teary eyes. "The thing you need to know is that you're loved, and no matter what we face in the coming days, that can't be stolen from you. And if... if I don't return from this, I want you to walk into every day of the rest of your life certain of that fact. I love you. And I will do anything I can to protect you."

Elreth opened her mouth and Reth jolted, fearing she would ask directly and that Elia would answer, and they would all dissolve into useless puddles at this time when they needed nothing more than they needed strength and focus.Â

But then Elreth caught his eyes. And whether it was something in his gaze, or only that she looked to him for reassurance from her own caution... she closed her mouth again and nodded.Â

"You're right," she croaked to her mother. "You're right. What's important is here in this room. But we all have jobs to do. Thank you. Thank you, all of you, for being willing to do them."Â

Her tears didn't spill over as she turned to meet eyes with Gar and Rika and even Aaryn.Â

Creator's mane, his daughter was incredible.Â

"Tell us what we missed, quickly," Elia urged her. "Tell us where you'll be."

Reth was comforted by the close attention Aaryn gave Elreth as she took a deep breath and relayed their respective tasks—that Gar would lead the Protectors towards the desert, hoping to intercept the human army before it reached the WildWood. That Rika would attempt to interfere with the humans and turn them back—failing that, that she would sabotage their technology to give the Anima a fighting chance.Â

That Elreth herself would stay in the city to coordinate all the fronts and efforts, and Aaryn with her to advise and action.Â

That they would welcome the return of those coming from the human world. That they would ensure the other traverse wasn't breached...

Reth shook his head in disbelief as the picture expanded and filled out in color.Â

A war on two fronts.Â

A people divided in body, yet singular in purpose.

Two worlds colliding in a final battle based as much in wits as flesh.Â

And always, over all of it, the threat of what would be if they weren't successful. The potential that it wouldn't be just this family torn from its roots... but all of the Anima. Every one.Â

Protectors, Leonine, Lupine, human... it didn't matter. All of them bleed red. And all of them would pay with their lives if any of them failed.Â

"Creator, help us all," Reth muttered as Elreth sighed and opened her hands without words, because there were too many things to speak them all. But they could all see the truth.Â

This was their last stand. And they would meet it, fangs bared and claws extended, they would fight and win... or die trying.Â