Tales of a Shifter (P5) - White Mountain

Chapter 11 - Once Upon A Civil War

Chapter 11 – Once Upon a Civil War

Glen queen of the Leopards and possibly one of the loveliest people Brandon had ever met gave him a dark look at his ready and willing desire to listen to her tale.

The darkness on he face and in her normally bubbly mannerisms holding Brandon captive and anxious as he waited for her to speak further. Eventually Glen nodded to herself, as if she were trying to be determined or brave.

Then she seemed to gather her thoughts as she sat up straight, put out her hand, then sharply gestured towards how own body. "Brandon?" She asked calling his attention to her movement. "Can you tell me what you think when you see me?"

Brandon's first urge was to say something flattering, but from the serious tone in her voice Brandon instantly guess that Glen was looking for honesty, not flattery. So, after a moment he easily spoke the one thought he had constantly had about the Leopardess since he had first met her. "I don't want to offend you Glen...." Brandon started off. "But you're really small. Everything about you seems dainty like a flower. Delicate, but...but it suits you, you know?"

As Brandon stopped speaking Glen scrunched up her nose, dropped her hand and sighed back at him seeming displeased.

"Exactly...I'm small. Even by most standards...and my size creates a fragility that I can't deny." Ezekiel's mother agreed. "But there is a special reason for this Brandon. You see.... I'm not like some of the other Leopards in this Clan. About half of us...aren't like the other half that live here."

Intrigued Brandon asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well.... Brandon there are subspecies in all of the Shifter Clans. Branches and tiers of beast kind." Glen informed him. "In the other Shifter Clans, they are all beholden to their species, but there are sub species or various other blood lines that reside within the borders of ever Clan."

Brandon frowned as he tried to conform to this new information, before Glen waved at him and hissed.

"Don't get confused Brandon. "She told his quickly. "I'm simply trying to give an explanation. Basically, what I'm saying is that even if there is only one Bird Clan.... there are different Bird Shifters that reside within that Clan. Some Shifters can turn into Flacons, or Crows, or Hawks."

Glen gestured and shook her head.

"Much like there are different types of these same animals found in the wild, there are multiple types of Shifters in one Clan. They have different kinds of Shifters in this Clan as well Brandon. There aren't simply Leopards that live here. There are Snow Leopards and Western Leopards in this Clan." Glen sharply outlined ticking off on her two left fingers as she spoke. A small smile touched her lips as she suddenly explained putting a small hand to her bodice. "I am a Snow Leopard Brandon. My people aren't like the Western Leopards. We're smaller...more delicate as you put it. We are also colored much differently than the rest."

Brandon twisted his lips to the side as he thought of Mantilo's size, relative to his Mates and his sons. Then he said. "Okay, so let me guess.... Mantilo is one of the Western Leopards?" Brandon suddenly inquired.

Glen nodded. "Yes he is, as are all of the Guardians, including Erin, but Drin is a Snow Leopard much like me."

Easily following along now Brandon said next. "I get it...you and Drin are smaller because you're Snow Leopards? And Mantilo's a giant because he's a Western Leopard? Makes sense." Brandon stated, then he stopped and shrugged. "But I've honestly never seen a Snow Leopard before, what makes you so different form Mantilo?"

Seeming pleased with this question Glen smiled gently and hissed quietly. A feral, playful flash of vibrant green neon light flashed across her eyes and she leaned forwards as if whispering a secret to him. "Oh is that so? Well, why don't you see for yourself...say hello to my other half." she said, before she swiftly Shifted right before his eyes.

A stiff gust of hot air expanded around her making Brandon blink, and the next thing he knew Brandon was staring into the calm, glowing green eyes of a Leopard.

The beautiful dress Glen was wearing and the sterling silver earrings in her ears....it all melted away as flesh turned to light grey fur...and a small graceful, snout with a soft pink nose, took away her mortal face. But Glen's feminine eyes reflected out of the big cats furry face

And still Brandon was instantly struck with a realization that this Leopard was much smaller than any of the other Leopards Brandon had seen Ezekiel or his brother's turn into.

This Leopard was quite compact....and really no larger than a young child. Glens Leopard was no longer then the lower half of Brandon's body, and no taller than the coffee table sitting in the middle of the room. And unlike Ezekiel or Mantilo, this small beast was covered in soft shades of grey, with large fluffy blotches of snow-white fur dancing around its large round eyes, flat nimble paws, compact chest...and at the tip of a long-striped tail, almost the length of its sleek body.

Countless black spots danced across the shifting fur as the Snow Leopard simply preened on its hunches for Brannon's analysis. A sudden yawn took the snow Leopard, and with a flash of needle-sharp fangs it cracked open its mouth, then dropped its head and ran a flat paw back and forth over its whiskers and mouth grooming.

Glen allowed her Shifter to remain there for a few more moments, but soon enough Brandon felt another stiff blast of warm energy on his skin and in moments Glen was picking herself up from where she was crouching on the carpet. With fluid grace she settled back into her seat, dusted and swiped at her dress and as she did this Brandon felt compelled to tell her. "Glen she's so beautiful...your Snow Leopard. Thank you for showing me that..." He offered in genuine joy at what he had seen.

But to his surprise Glen didn't smile at his compliment...she only glanced at him, before she quietly looked down and whispered "Is she beautiful to you? Once upon a time Brandon such words would have gotten you beaten...or flogged, maybe even both."

Instantly not liking the sound of that Brandon sat back and asked her "Uh flogged and beaten? What do you mean?"

"Once.... Snow Leopards were considered lowly Brandon." Glen openly told him looking up at him, her expression tight. There was a sheen of tears in her eyes as she spoke dark thoughts. "We were filthy. Weak. We were nothing special. Or important. Or beautiful. Compared to the Western Leopards a Snow Leopard like me was trash. We were refuse left to wallow and die by the hands of our betters."

"That's terrible!" Brandon offered as he imagined someone treating Glen in any unkind fashion and he felt his entire heart shutter in rage.

Glen sent him a small nod and said back "It was terrible, but it was the way this Clan.... our Clan once operated. The Snow Leopards were weak...and useless...and the Western Leopards were our Gods. Our Masters." At this point Glen sighed and dropped her shoulders. Then she started to tell him more.

"The History of this Clan stretches back before the years of my life, but it is far from forgotten how things dissolved into chaos." Glen softly expressed. "As Erin has already told you Brandon...the Dragons suddenly abandoned this world. They left behind a world no longer at war, but you see after the Dragons retreated from existence...There was a vacuum left behind that had to be filled. And so every graceless bully in the world started ripping and slashing for power. There was peace between the Shifters and Mankind of course, but inside of the Shifters Clans there was wars and constant fighting for dominance." Glen shook her head and then continued.

"Nearly seven hundred years before my own birth because of the turmoil in the Clans.... there was a power struggle in the Leopards Clan as well. In the end, the Western Tribe Leopards snatched up all of the power, leaving the other Leopard Blood Line to wallow in defeat and subservience. Over time.... the Western Leopards began to appoint their son's and daughters as the Clan Heads. And for many many decades no Snow Leopard would dare try to seize the power again."

At this point Brandon broke in and asked. "But aren't you all Leopards? Why segregate one group and take away all of their power if that's the case?"

Glen cast Brandon a sad shrug and softly she replied. "I don't know exactly why the segregation became so bad. At first, I'd like to believe that most of the hatred between the Blood Lines was only skin deep, but over time.... the bigotry and hatred were perpetuated by the small size of the Snow Leopard's and the perceived superiority of the Western Tribe." Glen shrugged and added. "But perhaps no matter how similar we seemed.... our differences were always going to lead up to fight."

A small pause took over, before Glen actively shook herself, glanced at Brandon and once more poured into her tale.

"Anyway...many centuries passed until I was finally born. My mother and father were Snow Leopards, who due to the in-fighting had a hard time feeding me. But I was born at one of the worst times. Because the leader of the Western Leopards at my birth...was an evil man." Glens face darkened with resentment as she spoke, shocking Brandon. "His name was Uror and he was an aggressive thoughtless beast of a Shifter."

Glen sneered slightly as she said the name, then she continued. "Uror held little companion for weakness, and it was rumored that He had killed his own Mate in a fit of rage and was known to have been insane by her death. Under his tyranny my people, the Snow Leopards, were subjected to unbearable oppression and even s*****y. Until war suddenly erupted between the Blood Lines." Glen took a breath and some of the dark emotion in her face slid away. "Unable to remain in s*****y Snow Leopards rose up...and led my people into battle. IT was the beginnings of a terrible Cold War. A War that easily split this Clan asunder, with the Western Tribe and the Snow Leopards eternally at each other's throat. But after the two bloodlines split apart.... some semblance of peace returned to our lands."

Glen gestured out. "For a long time, there were bloody skirmishes. Many Shifters lost their lives on both side, but the tension between the Snow Leopards and Western Leopards only simmered instead of boiling over into outright violence....." Glen stopped and started to smile.

"The Snow Leopards leader at this time was a man named Garesh. He was bold. HE was intelligent. We called him Garesh the Shaman...because more than anything he was a lover of peace and of healing." Glen put a hand to her chest and laughed softly as if remembering something sweet

"Garesh was powerful deep in his spirit. He inspired me so much in my youth. I truly believe that because of his teaching I choose to dedicate my life to preserving life as a Healer. He was a GOOD man Brandon, but slowly as the decades faded it was easy to see that he had aged and that death was inevitable. He was soon very old, but so to was Uror the bloodthirsty. Hopefully some whispered that Garesh was going to be able to negotiate peace before he gave up the ghost. But in the months leading up to the peace talks.... Uror .... was poisoned and he later died. The new Western Leopard that took the throne after Uror died was just as nasty as Uror had ever been, because he was the son of Uror." Glen swallowed and gestured again.

"But still Garesh was determined and even though Uror's Son was a foul and mean Shifter.... The Shaman of the Snow Clan was not prepared to give up on peace between our Blood Lines."

Simply enraptured with Glen's story, Brandon merely listened to her, but as she spoke for a moment Brandon pictured an aged determined old Shifter with a gentle heart and he felt the urge to smirk. But that urge was quickly killed as Glen jumped back into her story.

A small hesitation took her and for a second, she looked like she wanted to stop, but then Glen cleared her throat and said. "Unfortunately, Garesh the Shamans efforts fell on deft ears.... And one day as he spoke with Uror's Son the Great Shaman was killed in the meeting hall. IT was heart breaking, and I was there to see it all happen. I saw the Shaman fall, murdered and I witnessed the end of a Cold War...and the start of a horrible Civil War between all my people moments after his body was put into the earth."

Brandon closed his eyes and couldn't help but sigh at the disappointing and sad tale. But Glen wasn't finished.

The leopardess lifted her eyes and looked away as her hands lifted and were placed trembling to her lips. "Oh, I still remember the horrors we all endured during the War. After Garesh was assassinated, I was taken as a Slave to the new king, and it was during this time that I met Mantilo." A small glimmer of hope that this tale was going to turn into something a little less dark tried to glow in his heart, but this hope was easily smashed.

Glen sighed and looked up and away as she explained. "Sadly, Mantilo was the Son of Uror." Glen closed her eyes and wiped her chin in obvious agitation. "Back then...Back then Mantilo was the Clan Head of the Western Leopards and after Gareshs assassinated Mantilo spear headed the Civil War. He was powerful, dangerous, driven and because of him blood painted the soils of our lands."

"Oh no! No way!" Brandon softly exclaimed and suddenly he felt an odd swirl in his gut. Something was telling him that this tale was going in a very painful direction.

Unfortunately, Brandon's gut was proven right as Glen continued to elaborate. With distant eyes the Healer continued at a softer pace and tone.

"Brandon..." She started, then she bit her bottom lip, and clenched her hands. After a second, she relaxed and continued. "Don't think badly of my Love. Mantilo was much colder back then. He was blood thirsty...and cruel. He was Uror's son after all. He was a Western Tribe Leopard. By blood the Western Leopards were cruel and beastly." Glen suddenly let out a broken growl and turned her eyes away. "After Garesh was killed I was put through all kinds of terrible things at the hands of some very nasty and power drunk Western Leopards who wanted to rule this Clan. They wanted to seize power....so they hurt me. So bad..."

Easley sensing the churning emotions and seeing the darkness rising in Glens eyes that seemed far too familiar Brandon tried to stop her from speaking and dredging up any more of her pain. "Wait Glen...Look just don't think about it..." He tried to sooth her, but Glen was already past gone. Tumbling into her own past where Brandon knew everything seemed like the present.

"I still remember it. The crippling weight.... And how fear immobilizes you. Your nightmares Brandon..." Glen softly mummer, glancing at Brandon, but not really seeing him. "They seemed so familiar to me when I first witnessed them." Glen shook her head and whispered.

"Even now if I concentrate I can still smell them...the men that took me. I dream about the men.... about what they did to me..." Glen blinked and a solitary tear slid down her cheek, startling Brandon and making his heart seize in panic. Glen reached up and covered her eyes with her left hand, blocking her tears from sight and with a watery voice she shook her head again and said. "...Oh silly me. I'm sorry...I just...need a moment to..."

But Glen didn't finish her sentence, she simply folded into silence, small drops of water traveled down from the cover of her hands giving testament to the fact that she was overcome with sorrow.

It was shocking to witness such a self-assured woman like Glen in such a vulnerable place. IT was painful to see. Brandon swallowed the frog in his throat and swiftly went to reach out to her. But as Brandon crossed the small space that separated him from Glen and he put his hand on her small shoulder a deep beastly rumble lit the room. Brandon flinched in surprise and both he and Glen glanced towards the doorway to see Mantilo walking in from the hallway.

Ezekiel's father had never looked so intimidating or handsome. The Clan Head was decked out in an immaculate black suit. Long Silken sleeves and slim black slacks with a sharp collar and silver cuff links seemed almost pained across the barrel-chested Shifter. Mantilo's hair looked freshly oiled and it was unbraided. It laid in a thick curtain across his wide shoulders, soft light danced across the obsidian strands. To Brandon he looked like he was going to host some lavish ball.

But the sharp cat like gaze and the yellow blaze of his inner leopard in his long pupils created a sharp atmosphere in the room. Wordlessly the Clan Head crossed the room, his entire body seemingly drawn to Glen.

Brandon, who got the memo, quickly stepped back towards his seat; Rather than stand in the path of the large man and his distressed Mate.

Glen, who had yet to recover from her tears remained speechless, as Mantilo grasped her hands and pulled her gently from her seat. A strong left arm wrapped around her small waist and Mantilo anchored Glen to his chest with a gentleness in his moves and bleeding across his expression that Brandon could have never believed the stern man was capable of.

Mantilo reached out and caressed Glen's cheek, dashing away tears and rumbling at her in what unbelievably sounded like deep distress. "Glen....Glen..." He mewled as he pressed his lips to her temple and softly rocked her. "Shhh. It's okay...I'm here." Mantilo spoke her name and he touched her as if everything about her was thin glass on the verge of cracking. "I'm here."

Glen closed her eyes and rested her hands against Mantilo's chest and it was only with her being encased in his arms that Brandon realized that the healer was shivering and shaking from head to toe. In a thick voice Glen burrowed into Mantilo and tried to laugh. "Yes. I know your here My Heart..." She said through her tears. "You're always there to save me when I need you."

"Always..." Mantilo softly rumbled back and without another word he tilted Glen back and kissed her. A kiss that grew deeper and deeper as the moments passed. A passionate declaration and a demand. Every second that it lasted screamed of something intimate....and true.

Brandon didn't truly understand it...but he did feel something inside of him cry out in painful envy. Something that begged from his soul.

I want that!? I want to have that too!?

With those words pulling at his heart Brandon turned his gaze away, but all he found was a familiar memory waiting on him.

A memory of the night of the attack on the Clan Celebration. That night Brandon had broken down in Ezekiel's arms. And much like Mantilo had done to Glen. Ezekiel had consoled him, soothed him, devoured him in a kiss as if he was suffocating and Ezekiel was his air.

And suddenly with a small cramp in his heart Brandon had to wonder.

Did I throw something like that away? Can I have a fraction of what these two have with Ezekiel?

It was at this point that Glen and Mantilo pulled apart, thus giving Brandon something to place his attention on, instead of searching the twisted valleys of his own heart.

"I'm sorry Mantilo...." Glen was softly apologizing to her Mate as Brandon clocked back into their conversation.

But with a soft growl Mantilo sighed and asked sternly. "What happened Glen...?" Mantilo was still embracing Glen but his hands had settled on her lower back, allowing the Healer to press her hands to his chest, and fiddle with the buttons of his suit as she spoke.

"Nothing happened..." The Healer seemed to soothe. "I just got a little emotional as I was talking to Brandon. I got carried away and some very unpleasant memories surfaced...." Glen stopped, glanced down and almost guiltily added. "They were memories from the days of the Civil War."

At this soft admittance Mantilo noticeably froze, then he snarled and closed his eyes. "I sensed so much distress I thought you were under attack...but now I understand." Mantilo stopped, opened his eyes and gently frowned at his Mate.

"Why this tale...?" He suddenly pressed her. "Why return back to such a wreathed time in our lives? I can still barely think of those days without wanting to weep. Your pain...." Mantilo stopped and cleared his voice that had taken on a slight tremble. After a moment the Clan head tilted his head closer to his Mate and nearly whispered. "NONE OF IT EVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED!" he hissed vehemehetly.

"I did not mean to open up any old wounds Mantilo...." Glen hissed as she pressed a kiss to the side of Mantilo mouth. Then she said "I simply felt it was important for Brandon to hear our story. "

There was something heavy about the way Glen said this...and Brandon wasn't the only one who noticed because the Clan head sent his wife a strange look and gently pressed her. "Why Glen?" He asked.

Glen sent him a private look of her own and strongly replied. "I felt it would help inform his decision before we asked him that important question we had been meaning to ask him."

A silent exchange passed as Mantilo looked into Glen's face, and even though nothing was said Brandon felt like a whole conversation was passing before his eyes until finally Ezekiel's father sighed and nodded. "Fine." He told Glen. Then without any more exchange Mantilo released Glen from his hold, choosing instead to hold her hand as he shifted around and put his attention on Brandon for the first time since entering the room.

But before he said anything else Mantilo softly growled at Glen. "Where were you at in the story..." He softly inquired.

Glen nibbled her lip, then replied. "I sort of came in close to the end, after Gareseh was Assassinated."

"Okay... I will finish the telling." Mantilo told her softly, then he looked at Brandon sighed and said "Stop gapping Boy...you look like a fish."

Brandon mentally checked his winded expression, rolled his eyes and shot back at the man. "I'm just a little speechless!" He quipped. "This all sounds so dark. I'm confused at why anyone would treat others so badly over their appearance."

Casting Brandon a solemn, but thoughtful look Mantilo soon replied. "Yes. The disgusting thinking that aggravated my people's minds and hearts. But I won't rehash the particulars. I'm quite sure Glen has told you about the Civil War in great detail already, but what I'm sure she did not express to you, was how I am the one who first ignited the war. I was the one who spilled the first blood."

Brandon wasn't sure what he had expected to hear next, after all of the other startling information he had received that day....but somehow this confession stole Brandon's breathe away and he squeaked. "Wait. What do you mean you started the Civil War?"

Mantilo took in a deep breath and finally said "I killed him Brandon....I killed Greseh Snow Leopard. I was the Assassin that took out the Shaman. I murdered him in cold blood and encouraged the violence to escalate soon after he was buried."

"But....but Why?" Brandon couldn't help but demand. "I mean I thought Greseh was pressing for peace between the Leopard blood lines? Why did you kill him?" Brandon asked sharing first Glen, then Mantilo's gaze.

Seeming too ashamed to look at Brandon as he surmounted an answer Mantilo turned his gaze to the far windows and gently answered. "I realized later that I murdered the Shaman out of spite." Mantilo hissed. "When my father was poisoned and I became Clan Head, he left behind a gaping divide between our Blood Lines. A divide filled with ignorance and paranoia. A divide that consumed me in rage."

Mantilo stopped, dropped his shoulders and seemed to lament. ".... I was not...ready to assume control of the Western Leopards. I was young and power hungry. I was not the man I am today."

Mantilo glanced at Brandon, shook his head and continued. His voice conveying a deep feeling of regret. "I was brash and angry and hateful towards the other Blood Line. All of my misfortune seemed to be because of the Snow Leopards. I blamed my Mothers' death...and all of the failings in our society on the Snow Leopards particularly. I disliked the Shaman that they followed. I also couldn't understand why the Snow Leopards couldn't simply conform and be subservient to us. They were inferior in size to us. WE were stronger than them." Mantilo let out a disgusted chuckle at himself and continued. "Greseh came to me and often attempted to speak wisdom into my cruel heart. He truly wanted peace. But I didn't want to fight for peace. In fact I sewed seeds of war with my mentality and closed off heart. I was a monster..."

At his harsh words Glen cast him a soft growl and interjected. "Stop! You are always so critical of who you used to be. But you know it was your fathers hatred for Snow Leopards that made you act the way that you did in the past."

Seeming touched by her words Mantilo squeezed her hand, but with a frown he told her.

"I know that my father was a cruel man at times Glen because of his madness....and that I perhaps suffered for it, but I also know that the War between our people may not have gotten so bad...if I hadn't been so hungry to please my Father and to honor the ignorant legacy of the Western tribe." Mantilo steadily replied, glancing at Glen, then back at Brandon. "The last day that Greseh came to me he had a small hand maid with him. A small, but enchanting woman..."

"So...when Glen told me she was taken....she meant that you took her...as a slave?" Brandon started to ask and with dawning horror he began to let his imagination take over.

No way!? Mantilo hurt Glen? He abused her?

Brandon quietly thought.

Luckily Glen saw the horror on his face and quickly set him straight. "Brandon it's not like that. Yes it was Mantilo who took me as his personal slave and held me against my will, but Mantilo was not the one who hurt me." Glen lifted Mantilo's arm, wrapped it around her shoulders and leaned into his side as Mantilo pulled her close.

"You see soon after we met Mantilo and I began to fall in love. We were drawn to each other as Mates.... but with all of the hatred and death around us, we couldn't ever cross such a line."

As Glen slowed to a stop Mantilo rumbled in on the end of her sentence. Mantilo turned his eyes on his Mate as he spoke, saying. "Glen.... was this amazing little balm to my soul. I gave her rage and rudeness and she gave me back kindness and sincerity." Mantilo smiled softly. "But.... she was also able to cut me with her tongue and her claws. She was frustrating and delightful. She soothed me like nothing else could." Mantilo quietly admitted.

"And even after I subjected her to slavery...She opened her heart to me. She forced me to see the darkness in the way that the Western Leopards thought and treated the Snow Leopards. But...as much as I grew to crave her love...I knew that touching her out in the open would lead to my own ruin. So, I held back. Until I discovered the truth about my father's demise and the Civil War." Mantilo finished with a stiff hiss.

"What truth?" Brandon wondered aloud and Mantilo quickly answered.

"It was my people..." Mantilo hissed hotly. "My father's very own Clansmen had poisoned my father, conspired and killed Uror. They blamed his death on the Snow Tribe to ignite a full blow war. They had betrayed us all."

"But Why!?" Brandon breathed. He was openly shocked and confused as Mantilo and Glen took him further into their story.

Glen suddenly hissed in resentment. "The cowards killed Uror and blamed it on the Snow Leopards...because Uror was secretly hammering out a peace treaty with Garesh the Shaman. In his madness and old age Mantilo's father had grown weary of bloodshed. But his men were unwilling to let such weakness prevail. The Western Leopards killed Uror and placed Mantilo on the throne as a puppet, then pushed him to War."

Mantilo suddenly snarled harshly in his chest, and yellow light touched his eyes as he said. "I hunted down the traitors once I knew the truth...and I killed them all." Mantilo lifted his hand and curled it into a fist, his eyes were hard and dark and terrifying to look into.

"With glee I ripped apart the fools who had manipulated me and fooled me into killing so many in the War. I was merciless and gave no quarter, but in my rage, I made a grave mistake....and Glen paid the price." Mantilo dropped his fist as he grew even colder and expounded

"Unfortunately, the last surviving traitors of my father, took Glen from me and they threatened to kill her unless I committed suicide. The wanted me dead so that they could then take back control of the Clan and finish the war."

Brandon was wholly shocked at this dark turn in the tale and as he saw the raw emotion on Mantilo's face and heard it in his voice; Brandon felt his heart squeeze in sympathy.

Heavy silence swallowed them all, as Mantilo and Glen both seemed to need the time to settle their hearts. Unwilling to rush them, Brandon waited patiently for the tale to continue...and soon enough Mantilo was speaking again.

"I knew that the traitors were hurting her and it killed me every moment that they had her in their grasp." Mantilo swallowed, then hissed darkly. "But unknown to the men that had taken Glen I had Mated with her in secret. She bore my Mark...and she held my soul. Her pain was like a strobe light...and soon enough I reclaimed her. I got to her in time to save her life...." Mantilo leaned over and placed a kiss to Glens temple, and then the man simply lingered there, seeming to soak in her warmth and proximity.

Letting Mantilo and Glen have their moment Brandon released a small sigh of relief that he hadn't realized he was holding. Then he asked the first questions that popped into his head. "So, in the end...what happened to the men that betrayed your father? And.... how did the Civil War finally end?"

Glen spoke up this time. "Oh. The men that had plotted to hurt Mantilo and I were executed or slowly died during Mantilo's rescue attempt." She reported and it wasn't hard to see the utter indifference she had in her eyes as she spoke of execution. The darkness in her demeanor was perhaps disturbing, but more than understandable.

"After that, Mantilo and I openly became the first Snow Leopard and Western Leopard Mates. Our union ushered in a new age. For many years there was tension and fear, but we worked hard.... we worked tearlessly. And then....one day I got pregnant." Glen smiled happily. "Walter was the first child born of the two Blood Lines, a hybrid. Soon after him came Lander, he was second born as one of the first Hybrids. After Lander we did something no Leopard had ever done before." Glen shook her head as Mantilo nodded in agreement.

"What was that?" Brandon wondered aloud at the pair.

Mantilo chuckled and relied. "Cant you guess? WE adopted a very handsome, and very skittish stray wolf into our Clan. Our people thought we had gone crazy!"

"Oh! You're talking about Nate, right?" Brandon asked the Mates. And both of them smiled.

"Yes.... Nate a wild wolf, had somehow managed to wonder in and started killing local wild life." Glen explained. "We had no idea where the Wolf came from....and for a long time he refused to take his mortal form, but we could tell that he was very lost and young." Glen shook her head.

"He stayed Shifted at all times so we had no idea what he looked like. A little feral grey wolf with a damaged face is all we saw." Glen smiled sadly then finished. "But.... after I became pregnant with Ezekiel Nate started to hover around me and the Mansion more and more. He seemed intrigued by the new life in my stomach. He was very protective of our youngest son for some unknown reason. And once Ezekiel was born? Well, Nate started sleeping beneath his crib."

Brandon smiled at the image he had of baby Ezekiel and Nate the Pup.

Glen seemed to take joy from his smile and she laughed. "Then as Ezekiel started walking.... Nate started De-Shifting. He had a special connection to Ezekiel from birth. Over time Nate took his mortal form more often.... but no matter how much I or Mantilo pushed Nate refused to tell us where he had come from or what had happened to him. In the end we officially adopted him into our home."

With a sudden sigh Glen suddenly captured Brandon's eyes and said "So it all comes full circle. The conflict that seemed unending was finally settled. The factions of our different bloodlines came together....and under Mantilo we have had peace, and wisdom and prosperity." Glen stopped, breathed out and then she gestured to Brandon, asking him to take his feet.

Hesitating for only a moment Brandon quickly choose to comply and he climbed to his feet.

And as he took his feet Glen and Mantilo walked up to him...and Glen touched his arm and asked him. "Now, I bet your wondering why I've brought all of this up to you."

Unable to hide his confusion Brandon shrugged and admitted "Yeah I am.... I mean I'm happy that you wanted to reveal this chapter in your lives to me, but why are you telling me this now exactly?"

To Brandon's surprise Glen transferred her small hand from his arm, up to his cheek and she slowly told him "Brandon we.... we all have something kindred about us....and it is the tragedy's that we have faced. Tragedy's that have bound my family closer over the decades. Tragedy's that have empowered us. Tragedies that have made us the Guardians and protectors of our Clan."

Glen blinked and paused, but Brandon found it impossible to pull away or step back, before the Healer was once more speaking to him. "The trails we have faces have changed us all, but because we stood together we overcame them and sloughed on. We've survived....and now we only want to see you do the same." She implored sharing his gaze.

Swallowing Brandon looked from Glen to Mantilo. "Okay...but what does that mean?" He said, feeling something huge about to come out of their mouths....and he wasn't disappointed.

"It means..." Mantilo hissed at him "That we want you to stay here...with us. We want to ask you to stay."

Before Brandon could even fully internalize what was happening his lips and heart were pushing him to withdraw. As always fear and uncertainty and pain were his first and only shelter. But Mantilo somehow stopped Brandon from outright refusal with a stern look and a gentle hiss.

"Brandon you have nowhere else to go." Ezekiel's father hissed heavily, but not with anger.

"You simply have no one else to rely on outside of this Clan. Trust me. I am not bullying you or attempting to scare you, but I am nothing if not blunt. So, let me put it to you the only way I can..." Mantilo leaned in and his deep gaze helped his words shoot straight to the core of Brandon's being. "You aren't safe out there. You won't be safe until the Alchemists, Hovel and Jacob are put down. So, to this end.... we're offering you a place here. A place in this Clan. A place in this family. We're offering you a chance to become our Clans men."

Brandon swallowed, swallowed again and asked. "What? Wait.... I'm a mortal...Can I be a Clans Men? I mean Can I actually join a Shifter Clan?"

Glen smirked. "Our tittles basically afford us the power to do this.... We want to do this for you. We want you to stay. We want you to make this your new home."

Before Brandon could reply Mantilo said next

"It is not unheard of for a mortal to join a Shifter Clan Brandon." The Clan Head informed him. "If that Mortal was willing to live among our kind and follow our rules that is. Still It would be.... strange at first, for some of our Clans Men to adjust to seeing you or interacting with you in ways that won't endanger your life or bring you harm.... but I and Glen are the Heads of this Clan...."

Mantilo hissed and flashed some yellow eyes at him. "What's the point of being in charge if you don't throw your weight around every now and again, right?"

Brandon tried to deny them or make them reconsider the offer as he said. "I'm not sure. You guys know what I could do. I'm a danger to you and your people if I lose control."

To Brandon's surprise Glen hissed at him in frustration.

"WE don't live in fear of the future Brandon." The Healer sternly told him. "All we can do is have faith and push forwards past uncertainties. Can you do the same? Knowing that you don't have many other options....I still want you to see this as a positive." she said

And Mantilo finished. "You can live with us. You can be safe and free of your father and Jacob. We can protect you." He didn't demand or pressure. The Clan Head simply outlined his opinions.

Brandon closed his eyes and sighed. Inwardly he felt torn.

I.... honestly don't know what to say. I don't really want to say no. But......isn't it selfish from me to take their protection and stay here leeching off their generosity? I never wanted to use them like this....

"I....I don't know what I could ever do to repay you for the things you've given me..." Brandon whispered. "I cant pay any of you back for the blood you've spilt over me and my problems..."

"That doesn't matter to us.... Sweetheart don't be mistaken." Glen softly and suddenly ordered him. "We aren't just extending this offer to you out of concern for your safety. I can see how all of this weigh on your heart. Your past experiences drag at your heels...as do all of ours. But at some point, we have to start fighting back. We have to claw and rip our happiness out of the misery. We are trying to give you a chance to live your life for once."

Glen took Brandon's right hand and squeezed it. "We have to start living our lives despite the pain.... We have to move forwards. YOU have to move forwards."