Morning found staring at the ceiling. My mind adding up the ti in Forks. Should I call and tell Edythe that I made it? No. I really wouldn't have anything to tell her. I robotically brought the bland granola bar to my mouth and finished it off. What I wouldn't give for a ribeye pancake sandwich right now. My loving clansn must have forgotten to bring my dinner last night.
A sharp knock sounded a mont before Rohan entered. "Good, you are up." He tossed a bundle of cloth at . "Put these on, it's all you will wear when you start your climb. We don't have much ti, the ceremony starts as the sun rises.
I stood and shook the bundle out to find it was a grey robe. Shrugging my shoulders I started to take my clothes off and put the robe on. "Tell about this test I'll be taking."
The robe was scratchy against my skin, and it slled of smoke, like it had been stored near a chimney or sothing. Rohan took the sa stance as last night, near the door, arms crossed.
"You'll carry the fla," he said flatly. "A brazier bound to your fire. You climb until the mountain decides whether you're one of us, or whether it takes you."
"That's… vague," I muttered, tugging the hem into place. "What happens if I fall? Or the fire goes out?"
He didn't blink. "Then you fail."
"Fail as in 'go back to the beginning and try again,' or—"
"Fail as in you die."
The words hit , and anger filled my mind. "This wasn't what you told Rohan. I would have stood a better chance staying with the Cullens and fighting anything that ca at . I am starting from a place of weakness here, and you brought . What's to stop from shifting right now and fighting my way out? I ca here to learn control, to learn about my father's family. Not be ambushed with so life or death test my first day here."
Rohan's expression hardened, but there was a flicker in his eyes, quick as lightning. Not guilt—sothing closer to urgency. "You want to fight your way out? Then shift. Do it now. Break out of this room, tear through , try to run. The mountain will swallow you before you make it a mile. And the fire inside you…" He shook his head once. "It doesn't care if you think you're ready. It doesn't care about Edythe. It will consu you, and when it does, she'll be the one to pay."
"You talk like I don't have any control over my shifting, it has never been a danger to anyone who didn't attack . I can control it enough to fight with Jasper and not hurt him. What aren't you telling ?"
Rohan gave a deep sigh, "If a mber of this tribe that has the fire doesn't have themselves bound before 25 and dose not complete the trial... They go mad, the instincts of the beast take over. No matter the form."
I answered back, "But that doesn't happen to the Quileute, and I have their blood. What makes you think I will be affected by it?"
Rohan raised his voice for the first ti since I have t him, "Because you are not a Wolf. But a Tiger. Yes, part of the Quileute gift is now in your blood, but the Tiger blood is still dominant. Your size is nothing like I have seen before, but we have forms you have not begun to understand."
He took a calming breath, "Your transformation or shift as you call it, happened years before it should have. It is true that we don't know why, nothing like this happened to your father or his brother. No one else has the blood of the Quileute in them so we don't fully know what will happen to you. So, it was decided that you would take the test early."
He thrust a hand toward the door, abrupt again. "Co. The sun won't wait for you."
I stood there for a mont, fists tight at my sides, trying to process what he'd just dropped on . A countdown to madness. Bound before twenty-five or risk losing everything—including myself. And seeing as I had shifted before my 18th birthday, I was willing to bet that binding wasn't an option any longer. Not that I would allow that to happen anyway.
My tiger shape is a part of , its strength is what gives so hope of equality with Edythe. The feeling I have when running through the woods in Forks, the connection to the world I feel. No... No one was taking any of that from .
I forced out a laugh, sharp and bitter. "So, this is it? March up the mountain, hope I don't burn out, and call it a tradition? Hell of a family reunion."
My own words caused my anger to flair, but under it there was sothing else clawing at . Fear. Not for . For Edythe, for Bella, for the Cullens who had treated like family from day one... I thought of Rosalie, well, almost everyone. If Rohan was right—if there was even a chance he was right—I couldn't afford to walk away.
I pulled the robe tighter around and t his gaze. "Fine. Show where this test begins."
Rohan didn't smile, didn't nod—just turned on his heel and led the way out. I followed, the robe rough against my skin, the morning air moved the unfamiliar robe to wrap around my legs. Any chill it carried with it unable to make shiver due to my internal temperature.
The narrow lanes I'd wandered through last night were still mostly empty, occasionally I would pass a man or woman, but no children. They all looked at in surprise, their eyes followed as Rohan and I passed, but no one spoke. Not a whisper, not a cough. Just the weight of their stares pressing against my back.
Once we made our way back to the courtyard of the pagoda, I saw a group of robed figures sitting in a circle around a large black brazier. As it sat on the ground I took its asurents ntally. It looked about 2 feet tall and maybe 2 ½ feet wide, with handles on either side of the round monstrosity. Looking closer I could see many animal shapes carved into it, looking like etchings that were just slightly off color compared to the rest of the dark tal it was made from.
As I inspected the large brazier, I heard the door of the pagoda open and turned my attention to the figure that erged. It was the sa man as last night, he still had a presence around him that was almost stifling. His orange and black hair was hard to make out in the pre-dawn light, his physical size was only a few inches shorter than mine, but my bulk overwheld his slim build.
He broke the silence, "Who are you and by what right do you seek to climb the mountain and claim the gift of the Clan?"
His words sounded ceremonial, but since I hadn't been prompted about what to say by Rohan I would answer in my own way.
"I am Thomas Naresh Raizel, brought here to undergo this test. I am here to learn of the gift my blood gives . I co with no Clan, so I will claim none."
My words made many in the circle mutter amongst themselves, but I ignored them. No Clan clad when my father died, or helped my mother when she was raising on her own so fuck them. It takes more than blood to make a family, just ask any foster or step kid and they will tell you the sa.
The Tribal leader (Well, that's who I assu he is.) looks offended by my answer. His eyes narrow and I see his pupils go from the normal round to a more slit shape and the whites of his eyes start to turn a dark yellow. He lets out a growling breath, so I tense up the sudden thickness in the air.
He took another breath, "You will carry this brazier up the mountain, as soon as you touch it your fire will be drawn out of your mind and beco its container. If you attempt to draw on it while it is in the brazier you will fail. If you take both hands off the brazier you will fail."
I looked at the brazier again, its size suggested around 700-800 pounds… No problem.
As if guessing my thoughts, Rohan spoke just loud enough for to hear.
"The brazier is special. The weakest person in the village can lift it, but it will take all their strength. The sa goes for the strongest, it will take all their strength as well."
The air still thick with the tension my words caused, I did the stupidest thing I had done to date. (Notice I said, "To Date." I still have low hopes for my future actions.) I walked over to the brazier and picked it up without properly setting myself. The brazier actually felt… startled. Like it wasn't ready for to pick it up yet. Maybe it was all in my head but its how I felt. Then the weight of the damn thing registered on my muscles, and I almost dropped it like a deadlift in surprise myself.
Trying to keep the shock off my face, I adjusted my stance to help carry the weight across my body. But then, I was hit with a feeling of emptiness. The presence of my fire that was always with , was now gone. As if in answer of my searching mind, a white fla erupted from the brazier. Had it been a literal fire, it would have burnt my face off as it blazed like a bonfire. The flas went several feet into the air, the surroundings suddenly cold from the fire drawing all heat into itself to sustain its form.
A few monts later it settled down to a consistent height of about a foot above the rim of the brazier. I looked around at the startled faces of those I could see.
"Sooo… Dose soone want to point out the trail or do I just guess where it starts?"
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