Split in Time Ch. 03

"I have come to invite you to a gathering." Amy answered.

"A what?" He said a little confused.

"A gathering." She said with a smile when he gave her an annoyed look for her evasive answer. "A gathering is when a whole heap of Alphas get together to talk about problems and forge friendships."

"I've never heard of it." He said disbelievingly.

"Well... that's what I hope will happen. This gathering is mainly to deal with the madness of humans." She explained.

"I say kill them all." He growled.

"That won't solve the problem only create a larger one, already Were are devolving. The only reason we haven't reverted back to our primal selves is it's too dangerous." She told him slightly scolding him at the same time.

"So when is this gathering?" He asked starting to get interested.

"In a month, it's being held in England, on Ancient land." She said listing some of the answers to the questions running around his mind. "An Ancient will come and get you and it will last about a week."

He nodded and stepped forward to peel Maria from Amy. Maria stifled a cry and tightened her arms around Amy. He jerked his arms back. "We freed her yet she trusts you?" He questioned.

"I'm easy to trust but there is more to it and you will learn the answer at the gathering. I would like to take her with me. You'll find her a much changed woman if you allow me to." She offered.

He considered Amy's proposal and had no choice but to agree, Maria would lose her mind if he forced her to stay here. Nodding, his eyes scanned her group; his eyes skipped over Cass but came to rest on Shannon, even though both had beautiful shades of red hair and green eyes. However, Shannon seemed to spark his interest if only for the fact she had lips that were meant for kissing. His eyes moved from Shannon, skipping over Alanna and the rest of Amy's group.

"I don't even know your name." He said to Amy.

"Amy Wild-heart." She told him.

The breeze shifted, blowing Shannon's scent straight to him just as he took a deep breath. His beast rushed forward as the delicious scent filled his mind. Closing his eyes, he savoured her scent, before opening them to focus on Shannon. He just knew that the scent came from her, and too, that she was human, which just rammed home Amy's point that humans were important too.

Shannon gave him a small knowing smile, as if she knew what he had only just realised. He glanced at the group but they all seemed preoccupied, glancing around at his pack or obviously ignoring him for their own reasons. He leant forward and tugged her into his arms taking several steps back as his nose pressed against her skin. He was surprised that she didn't fight him, just the opposite in fact, she seemed just as eager as him to get close.

His nose pressed against her throat for a moment before his lips fastened to hers. There were wolf whistles from many of his pack members who thought that it was about bloody time his mate made an appearance. Amy chuckled and gently transferred Maria to Alanna's arms. Maria was surprised, as she knew this woman; she glanced up as Alanna smiled at her.

"Roberto." Amy grumbled a little in amusement. "Release her."

He growled and turned putting his body between the two women as he continued to kiss the life out of Shannon.

"Shannon stop encouraging him!" Amy exclaimed as she walked forward.

Roberto growled again, his arm tightening. "Mine." He told her dangerously.

"Yes yours." She agreed, "that's why I brought her here but she's not ready to be your alpha female, give me a month and you can claim her at the gathering." She said as she got between the two and moved Shannon away, ignoring Roberto's growls.

He stilled himself as he watched Shannon join her group. "You will not fight my claim?" he asked.

"No, in a month... once she's trained you can take her." Amy said simply.

He nodded and gestured to Cass, "Who is she for?"

"Cass is for herself; however she fully intends to claim Grey-hawk as her own at the gathering." Amy said with a warning for him not to assume ownership of Shannon.

He smiled, as he understood Amy's warning. "Lucky him." He said as his eyes feasted on his Shannon.

"An ancient will be by in a month to collect you." Amy told him and he nodded.

They vanished and appeared outside of the temple. They walked in and took Maria down to the pod room. Rhun was just about to shut down the pods but stopped. "More strays?" He asked.

"I made a promise that you are going to keep." Amy told him as she pressed Maria into a pod.

"Amy what if I can't keep that promise." He said mortified.

"Trust me... run a scan." Amy told him as he got behind the controls. Alanna shut the lid and whispered that everything would be all right, as Rhun looked at the scans.

"Okay..." Rhun said. "You were right; her shoulder is really a simple matter to fix." He said, already starting the procedure. The pod hummed as it went to work removing scar tissue; it reopened the original wound and re-healed it correctly. It also fixed several minor illnesses caused from malnutrition.

"All done." He said as Amy went and sat Maria up. Amy carefully moved Maria's arm to test mobility, Maria pulled away and checked her arm herself and smiled at Amy when she realised she had full movement back.

"Thankyou." Maria said a little hesitantly.

"It's okay." Amy said and took her hand, taking her back into the main sitting room. "Okay Tarval, Guinevere," both turned to her and smiled, glad to be given something to do. "I would like it if you would take, Electra, Alanna, Cass, Shannon, Mayhem, Susan and Maria to the training grounds and start to train them, but be careful of Maria's shoulder as it was just healed."

Maria was about to flee as she took in the massive Tarval. Alanna caught her hand and held it tightly preventing her escape. "Tarval is a good man, a gentle man." Alanna told Maria honestly.

Tarval and Guinevere smiled and got to their feet, "Come on ladies." Tarval coaxed as Guinevere lead the way. Amy watched as the women followed Tarval and Guinevere out.

A board appeared with a long list of names; Amy ticked Roberto and Grey-hawk. Rhun leant forward and tapped a name, "I know him. I'll go and invite him; he could help me get the other Vampire masters to come."

Amy nodded, "Go for it," she said giving permission to proceed.

Cleopatra leant forward and tapped several names. "I can talk to the Elementals, I have lots of contacts and they know me. If you like." She said.

Amy smiled and nodded.

"I have connections with the Fae," Mryddin said as he leant forward touching the four major Fae leaders.

"And I know the four major flight leaders." Taliesin added. "You keep with the Were, we'll deal with the others." He told her. "Divide and conquer."

Boadicea wrapped an arm around Amy. "Who next?"

"Well, I think we can kill four... no make that six birds with one stone, there is a mini gathering happening right now between the English Alphas." She said with a smile.

"Then who...?" Boadicea said wanting as much time outside of the temple as possible.

"Then sadly I'm going to have to leave you here and go after a few more people I know." She said.

"Who?" Boadicea asked curious.

"Eric... Maria's mate and while I'm in the general area I may as well get Ghost and Katie... if she is alive." She said a little distracted. "Let's go." She told the rest of the people in the room and they vanished.

*

Amy kept low as she approached the well-hidden cottage. She had left the others behind after getting the English Alphas to agree to come, she was also a little pleased, as they had met for much the same reason, she was organising a gathering. They had agreed to hold off on doing anything until a general approach had been agreed on.

She stalked forward carefully as Eric barrelled out of the cottage, throwing packed bags onto a horse. Katie followed him out and Amy felt a surge of joy that Ghost's mate had survived the madness. Although alive, this Katie had only just survived, she had a scar on her left cheek that ran all the way to her jaw, down her neck, and limped noticeably.

Eric grabbed her things and tied them to the horse that was waiting for her. He then flung her onto the saddle. Amy heard what had them spooked, a truck was approaching. She snorted as she felt Ghost getting closer; this was hopefully going to be much easier than she thought. She also heard what the two humans couldn't; the most obvious trail that they would take to escape was being blocked by more merks, these ones on foot.

Amy raced out to stop them. "No..." She said as she held out her arms as Eric trained a bow on her. "Merks are down that trail." She warned.

Katie turned to Eric and pulled out a knife and went to slit her wrists, she would die a free woman not a captive brood mare, the dagger vanished from her hand and appeared in Amy's. "I would rather you didn't do that Katie."

Katie turned startled eyes to Amy. "How..."

"Can I explain later, I would rather both you and Eric just stay still and let me deal with the merks." She told them as she knew by now they too could hear the approaching truck.

"You're not human, they will kill you." Eric surmised.

Amy rolled her eyes and stabbed the dagger into her chest; she felt an odd numbness around the area of the dagger but knew it would pass. "I am immortal, they can try... they will fail." She pulled the dagger out and turned to face the merks as they pulled into the small clearing around the cottage.

The merks piled out from the truck and pointed their guns at the group. Amy's eyes scanned over the group and felt saddened, none of the people who were pointing guns at her were older than sixteen; they held their guns in trembling hands. She was in their minds reading their thoughts; they were scared, cold, hungry, sick, and tired of being harassed. That was the only reason they had joined the merks, for food, shelter and to no longer be chased.

A large man levered himself out of the front cab. Amy recognised him as one of the men who had been arrested for the beating of Ghost and murder of Katie back in her home world. A dog was let loose but didn't react to Amy; in fact, it sniffed at her then curled up at a girl's feet.

The fat man lumbered slowly over as the rest of his group joined them. They, like the others were barely old enough to vote in Amy's world. She felt herself getting angry, as children should NOT be in this situation. "Ah good... two women. You are now being ordered to accompany us for the good of human kind."

Amy snorted. "If I were human... which I'm not, I still wouldn't aid your bigotry." She said coldly.

He glanced to the dog but it just wagged its tail and panted. He then roared with laughter. Amy glanced at the children. "Is this what you truly want, to kill people, just to live. You think the merks have the answers... they are the reason for this..."

The man stopped laughing, turned, and backhanded her; she turned and glared at him. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH WOMAN." He roared.

"NO." Amy answered firmly. "I know you... I know your heart... you're nothing but a scared man who fears. Instead of facing your fear you are trying to destroy it."

He raised his hand for another blow, "I SAID SHUT YOUR MOUTH." He roared, he paused as he felt cold metal press to his neck.

"Let her speak." A young man said with a slight waver to his voice, he was scared but Amy's words were honest.

"You didn't need to do that." Amy said carefully backing the young man up. "I have him handled."

"He has no right to hit you." He answered firmly which caused Amy to smile.

"You are a good young man, your mother would be proud of you." She told him and he blushed ducking his head. She turned back to the man who had struck her. "Your mother however is probably rolling in her grave."

"Keep your filthy mouth off my mother." He growled.

Amy sighed, she had two options, let him go or kill him. If she let him go he would report her to his betters, if he had the nerve, or he would blame it on Were, more than likely he would blame it on the Were as the dog refused to react to her the way he was trained. "You leave me with no choice." She said with regret, she moved quickly, her arms shot out, grabbed his head and jerked it to the side, killing him instantly. She held him and gently lowered him to the ground.

"I'm sorry." She told him as she moved his arms, crossing them over his chest. She didn't like killing, she did it if she had to and in Gus's case she did as the law she lived by demanded but if she could, she tried not to. She stood and glanced at the group and knew she had lost a little ground with them. "He left me no choice. Either I let him go and he blames this on Were which is a partial lie and signs your death warrants or I kill him and protect you all." She told them.

She waited hoping she hadn't lost them entirely.

"She's right..." A girl barely in her teens spoke up and many nodded, agreeing with her.

"But now what?" A boy asked as he pushed forward.

Amy smiled, "Come with me, I can house you all, feed you all." She told them and glanced back to Katie and Eric. "I originally came to get Katie, Eric and Ghost but I'll take you with me."

"Just like that." A girl in her mid teens asked then clicked her fingers.

"No strings, I only ask one favour of you if you come with me." Amy answered.

"What favour?" The young man who had come forward to stop her being hit asked.

"That you simply keep an open mind. Where we are going there are Were, Ancients and humans, we don't always get along but we respect that we are different and we don't judge each other." She said firmly then approached the truck and flicked back a tarp. She was met with a large snarling ball of black fur in a small cage.

"He was hit by the truck." The young man said joining her. "He's Were but I didn't think they got that big." He added.

"Actually they get bigger." She answered. "He's immortal, that's why he's larger than a normal Were, but Alpha immortals are even bigger than him." She explained.

"I'm Ash." He introduced himself and got a smile in response from Amy. It was hard to tell what he looked like, his face and hair were dirty, his clothes were far too big, but Amy saw promise in this young man. Give him good food and a good guiding hand and he would be a good leader.

Amy held out her hand, "Hello Ash, my name is Amy."

He glanced at her hand not understanding her gesture. She grabbed his right hand and put it in hers; she held it firmly and gave it a shake.

"Pleased to meet you Ash." She said and released his hand. She glanced back and growled, "Stop." She said firmly as a girl had been about to kick the dead man. Amy walked forward. "He may have been a scared and twisted man but he was someone's son, someone's brother, someone's father. He deserves respect in death even though he probably showed no respect to you. How you treat your dead reflects how you treat the living." She said giving them a little lecture.

Shovels appeared in her hands and she handed them to several of the stronger young men. "I require a hole, the length of his body and as deep as your head." She said pointing to the tallest of the young men. "The rest of you gather stones." She ordered gently but was instantly obeyed.

Vivian appeared and glanced around. "Why stones?" A little girl whispered as she picked up a stone. She was talking to no one in particular and got a start when Vivian took the stone from her.

"Amy lives with Were, she lives by their belief that the spirit has to be released from the body in order for reincarnation to occur." Vivian said as she put the rock down on the growing pile. She noticed at all the young adults were listening intently. "Do you know what reincarnation is?" She asked.

They shook their heads. "Reincarnation is when the same person is re-born every time they die. They don't just die never to be seen again. So Were believe..." She continued as she grabbed another rock, "that the body must be burned in order to release the soul."

"So why are we burying him?" The young girl asked.

"Were believe that by leaving the body to decay naturally they are denying his soul a chance to move on at least until his body breaks down completely. It's also a form of punishment for the soul which has wronged, a way of making the lesson from their life stick to their soul so it isn't repeated." She finished as she dumped another stone.

In quick time, the grave was dug and the man was carefully lowered into the hole and arranged, before the hole was back filled and covered with the stones to keep animals from digging it up. The young people who helped had listened to Amy and were treating the dead man with respect even though he had shown none to them.

"Okay... guns and ammo in a pile, daggers, bows and arrows are allowed." Vivian said as Amy was busy getting Ghost off the truck, she kept him in his cage, not game enough to let him out until she had him somewhere safe.

Everyone obeyed Vivian. A small arsenal was piled up before her and when the last gun was dumped on the pile, she asked everyone to stand back. In moments, the pile of weapons was nothing more than a molten hunk of metal, which was quickly cooling.

"How did you do that?" A boy exclaimed.

Vivian smiled, "Before I became Ancient I was a blacksmith..." she noticed their confused looks, "I moulded metal with flame and hammer." she explained. "I've always had an affinity with metal."

Amy moved a furious Ghost the last few feet. "Get your things; we'll leave in a minute."

Vivian knelt to look in the cage. "So this is Ghost?" She said curious about the famous Were.

"Yep..."

"I thought he would be... bigger." Vivian said a little confused.

"Against a normal Were, he is big, but he's not an enforcer or Beta who are slightly bigger when either immortal or mortal, same with being an Alpha, he is an average sized immortal. You're used to seeing Beta and Alpha immortals." Amy explained.

Vivian shrugged and stood. Amy went to Eric and Katie.

"Is he hurt?" Katie asked, her rarely used skills as a vet were already at work in her mind thinking of possible problems a hit wolf would have.

Amy shook her head, "Not that I could tell. We'll see when we get him to shift. Ready to go?" She asked.

Katie and Eric turned to each other, wondering about the woman before them, she seemed so honest and caring, they felt themselves trusting her even though they knew nothing about her. They both nodded slowly, first to each other then to Amy.

Amy smiled, "Good." She glanced at the rest of her group but they were ready to go. "Away we go." She said focusing on the group and willing them to the temple.

Everyone blinked at the change of scene. Robin was leaning on the doorjamb, his arms crossed. "More strays?" he asked as he pushed himself from the jamb and stepped forward. He wore an apron, which was immaculately clean; he stroked the line of line of facial hair on his chin.

"I am trying to break cycles of violence, the best way to do that is to get children to understand we mean them no harm that like them we just want to rebuild the world and live normal lives. That we aren't really that different fundamentally." She explained.

"Robin..." Vivian slid in before he could say anything. "Look at all these hungry mouths." She said with a smile as she gripped some shoulders.

Robin suddenly smiled as he realised that with more people it meant he could cook more, "I like that. However, they all need to be deloused and checked before they interact with the others. Rhun's taken care of the others and he'll hate to do it again."

A new man walked out of the house and smiled.

Amy held her arms open, "D'Artagnan." She said happily.

"You must be Amy..." He said with a light French accent and walked down to greet her with a hug and kisses to each cheek. "Robin has filled me in and I am at your service." He said with an extravagant bow.