The Banished Luna

Chapter 17

Avi let go of Georgia, and she crumpled into a heap on the bed.

"What...?" Flora stammered, ignoring the splattered food in front of her. She rushed to Georgia's side and gathered he sobbing girl into har arms. "What did ye do?" She turned on Avi, eyes blazing.

He straighened his shirt and stepped over the spilled soup. "Clean this up before my mother sees it." His voice was even, but he was clearly far from calm. His hands shook, and he veins in the side of the neck were tense.

"Avi, what's wrong? In the Goddess' name, what happened?" Flora pleaded, knowing that there had to be more to this than what she witnessed. But he was gone before she could even finish her question, and she was left with the inconsolable Georgia.

The ruckus drew the attention of others in the longhouse. The Alpha and Luna were away on business, but some of the children peeked down the hallway, and Avi had to shove a couple of dinnertime guests out of the way on his way out.What Flora and Georgia didn't see, though, was Kara, looking like the cat that ate the canary, and waiting for her brother at the door.

"There there, darlin'..." Flora tried to comfort Georgia, but she knew that there was no pain worse that the rejection of a fated mate.

Searing pain was blinding Georgia's senses, as if her body and soul were beaing ripped in two. All she could do was weep and cry out for the half of her soul that had been torn away no sooner had she'd found it. If Avi felt the same pain, he hadn't let on, which made the sadness even deeper and more hurtful.

Flora rocked the grieving girl gently, humming snippets of old lullabyes like the ones she sang to her own children when they were plagued with childish sorrows.

Hò rò ‘s na hù ò,

Falbh ho rò n-àill u,

Hò rò ‘s na hù ò

After an hour or more of desperate weeping, Flora realized that there was nothing more she could do, and she had to return to her little Orla, who would be asking for her by now. When Georgia's sobs quieted into helpless whimpers, the older woman tucked her into bed and prepared to clear the mess she'd made earlier. To her surprise, someone had already cleaned it. She took a mental note to thank whoever was responsible, and focused once more on Georgia.

"Ye go on a grieve, lass. There's nae shame in it." Flora gently wiped the tears from her cheek. "The world will look brighter in the morning, ye'll see. Ye'll get through this, brave girl."

And with those words, Flora slowly retreated from the room, closing the door with a soft click.

After the tears had been cried out, Georgia felt numb. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. The bliding pain had faded to a dull ache, which had spread to every fibre of her still-weak body. It was only then that Geneva spoke.

What will we do?

It was a tone Georgia had never heard from her wolf. The proud, ambitious Geneva was gone, and it her place was a fearful, trembling shadow of a she-wolf.

"I don't know." Georgia whimpered. "Everything hurts. My mate has rejected me. I have nothing"

Our mate...he, betrayed us. Why? Geneva whined paintively, lacking the will to even howl.

"Maybe because I'm a worthless traitor." Fresh tears filled Georgia's eyes. "Even the Goddess thinks I don't deserve a mate."

Let's run.

"Where would we even go? There's nothing here but rocks and trees."

I don't care. If we die, we die. It can't be worse than staying here.

Georgia's heart skipped a beat. Maybe Geneva was right. Maybe she could find a rogue pack to take her in, or even a human settlement. And if not, her death would remove the burden of her presence from Snowbright pack.

"What about Flora? Can we leave her a note?"

She'll be the only one to worry about us. It's the least we can do.

Luckily, the moon was bright enough that Georgia was able to slowly pull her aching body out of bed, and feel her way over to the desk to light a candle. She scratched out a quick note to Flora telling her not to worry and that the pack didn't have to bother about her anymore. She told her to pass her apologies to Sigrit, and to Avi...No. She scribbled out Avi's name. Her apologies to Sigrit, and the girls in the kitchen.

She place the note obviously in the middle of the desk, then pulled off her tunic, folded it carefully, and hung it over the back of the chair.

"Ok, let's go."

The longhouse was dark as Georgia padded through the main room. Embers from the central fire were still glowing faintly, but nobody remained around it. She shivered in the cool air of the open room, and hurried to the door as quietly as she could.

The moment her hand touched the doorknob, though, another hand swiftly clasped over hers.

Georgia jumped, but managed not to make a sound. A pair of eyes appeased in the darkness, reflecting iridescent yellow in the moonlight.

"Where are you going?" A female voice, low and manacing. It was Marja, one of the fox-guards.

"Away. Far away from here. You can tell the Alpha that he doesn't have to put up with me anymore."

The hand on hers relaxed and withdrew, and the eyes retreated back into the dark.

"Go North," Was all Marja's disembodied voice said.

"North, then. Uh, ok, thanks" Georgia echoed, confused, but grateful for even that sliver of dubious advice. ,

She stepped into the brilliant night, the village was deserted, and a nearly-full gibbous moon was high in the sky. The cold air hit her like thousands of icy needles, and she realized how late in the fall it was. It smelled like snow.

With a silent prayer to the Goddess, cruel as she was, Georgia let Geneva take control, and the brown-grey wolf raced out of the village and into the cold unknown tundra.