Northern Lights: The Druid of Black Lake

Chapter 2

The rest of March slipped by without much incident. I never did finish my National Geographic magazine. Once we had received our registration packages for the exhibition we had to figure out all kinds of details for the trip. Brandon was ten hours away from our territory, so we had to arrange accommodations. My mother took us into Prince Albert to get some new outfits for the events. There were three classes to attend each day and one lecture. Each evening there were supervised mixers. On the first night there was a ball. According to traditions that is where people usually paired off, then pairs would spend the remainder of the exhibition together. It was meant to basically be a massive speed dating event that included classes on mating, marriage, pack politics, family planning and economics. While my mother and Marie were looking at skirts Michael came over to me and pulled me out of the store.

"Charlotte, you should know that this exhibition event can be very serious. If we do find our mates there, we are allowed to combine rooms and finish the mating process on site. I have heard that some of us have even conceived children at the exhibition." He told me with a slight laugh.

"I don't want to know this, Michael. I don't want to mate with someone I just met. I couldn't." I told him in a hushed gasp.

My brother just laughs in my face, "It's not like you really can control it. If you meet him, he will be irresistible to you. Nothing else will matter. Mother, father, Marie, Byron, me, Red Rose will all be a distant memory when you see him."

I roll my eyes, "Is that what happened to Stella when you met her last year?" Michael laughed even louder at me. "No, she kind of hid from me in her room for three days. She said she was sick. I had to bribe the staff to let me in. Stella didn't know how she felt about me, sometimes she still doesn't come to think of it."

I smiled. My brother and his mate had been together for about a year now. It was still very new. She didn't like Red Rose very much, she visited her mother and father a lot who were in the True Dawn Pack out of Regina. Michael was patient though. He loved Stella, she was his everything. I looked at him and thought that maybe if my mate thought that way, it might not be so bad.

My mother called us back into the store and informed us we had to go and get our dresses for the ball. I didn't want to go but Marie was over the moon. Michael carried the majority of the bags and we all shuffled down the halls of the mall to the bridal store. Dresses everywhere. So expensive, for only one day and they all looked uncomfortable and itchy. My brother sat down in the designated "sitting section", he was carrying so many bags. Marie ran up the stairs to a rainbow of colors and fabrics. Mother went to the right and I went to the back, discount racks are more my speed.

I looked for twenty minutes and I found a lot of sparkles, animal print and lace. Too much fluff or not long enough. I was moving to the end of the line when I found a green long dress with a sweetheart neckline. It was forest green, soft flowing. I liked it. The price was reasonable and it was in my size, perhaps it was fate. I called to my mother. She dashed to me and ushered me into the fitting room. I pulled the dress on, it felt perfect for me. I stepped out and Marie gasped. She was wearing a hot pink short thing; I don't know what she was thinking. "I think I like this one mom." I said as I turned around.

"Oh darling it is perfect. Just so you. Simple, elegant, classic. I love you in that dress." My mom clapped as she spoke. I spun around a bit, the green dress flowed around me, lifting slightly but showing nothing. The fabric was so soft; I wasn't expecting to like it. Michael turn around kind of to look at me, he nodded and said, "Looking good Char."

"Alright, I'll get this one then." I agreed and smiled at myself in the mirror. I did look very nice in it. My eyes popped against the green fabric, my hair, being strawberry red seemed to glow against the dress. I pictured myself wearing it down then I wore it. It would probably be one of the simpler dresses at the ball, as it is a last season dress. I didn't care, it made me feel good and I wanted to attend this archaic event in something I felt comfortable in.

"Shoes? Maybe heals?" my mother asked. I shook my head, "No mom, I have black flats that I will wear. We can shorten the dress at home to just touch the floor in them. I don't want to buy shoes as well that I will never wear again."

My mother held my shoulders tight and hugged me close. She kissed my cheek, "My practical girl." Marie smiled at me, she knew I loved the dress. She wanted me to be excited with her for this event. I know she has been looking forward to it all year. When Marie realized her mate wasn't in Red Rose she was excited because she wanted to leave and travel the world. She wanted to go somewhere else that wasn't the middle of a forest. Do not get me wrong, Marie loved our home and our family, but she wanted out. She wanted to be more then a Delta's daughter.

"Ok, let's find you one now honey. I don't think that pink one leaves anything to the imagination." My mother said turning to Marie. Marie sighed in agreement. They went off together to discuss different dresses. I changed out of my green one and took it to the till. I went back to Michael and we waited another hour and half before Marie found one she liked. I am pretty sure I fell asleep on my brother's shoulder at some point.

When we arrived home Byron was playing a game on the TV and my father was reading a book. Michael carried in about two dozen bags from the van. My father looked at my mother, "How much Dorothy?"

She took his hand and kissed his forehead, "Less then you think." He smiled at her and nodded. "One more week girls. Only one."

I gathered up my bags and took them to my room. I pulled out the dress and held it up to my body. I looked into the mirror and let my ponytail down. It did make me look radiant. Such a simple piece of sewn fabric had so much power. I smiled at myself. I would get to wear my simple dress, my comfortable shoes, my glasses and I might not even find this mate. Then I could come back home and continue to read, track and live the life I love here in the forests of Red Rose.

I slept well that night, first time in a while. I woke up at five in the morning though. I felt the sudden urge to run. I needed fresh air and I needed it now. I crept out of my room and went to my sister's. Marie was sleep still, but I jumped onto her bed and pulled the covers off.

"Charlotte, what!?" she yawned, pulling the covers back over her shoulders.

"Come run with me!" I demanded. She rolled over, almost off her bed, "No, I'm still sleeping."

"Come run with me and after I'll make you a smoothie for breakfast." My bribe seems to have perked her interest, she opens one eye to look at me, "Strawberry banana?"

I nodded. She groaned and pulled herself up and out of bed. I smiled in triumph. We crept downstairs and outside, it was still very cold, but once she shifted we shook the snow off. Marie's wolf is brown; my wolf is dark grey. We tumble through the snow together, around the back yard just beyond the tree line. We don't go too far just in case, but we run out our energy. I wanted to do this with her one last time, just in case one of us doesn't come back from the exhibition. I know I will see my sister again, talk to her often but we might never be here in Red Rose together in the snow again. It makes my heart hurt, but it is the reality of where we are going. Marie can smell my sadness and she rubs up against me. She links with me soft wordless comforts. I love her for that. We jog back to the house and I made Marie her smoothie.