"Three races of man?" Lawrence asked, "there are Lupman, Leoman, Felman, and Humans as official races, and many give Dragons like Draco the status as a race of man. By that count there five races of man."
"It would seem like Dr. Azrael had miscounted," Marie-Eliza nodded, "but he was referring to the three races that had crossed the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska during the last ice age, which were only Lupmen, Leomen, and Humans. Remember that no one in the new world had seen a real Dragon or Felman before. Nearly everyone that Katherine had met had so far thought she was a runt Leoman female and the witches in their first meeting thought Draco to be a leper."
"He could have articulated that point better," Alice commented.
"He is the angel of death, the one to aide in the transferal of souls from this plane of existence to the next," Marie told her, "not the angel of semantics."
Alice slowly nodded.
"What about Running-Bear... you said he had a pain in his chest?" Samantha asked nervously.
"Heart disease is nothing new today, and Running-Bear by that time had lived a very long life," Marie said slowly, "longer then most of his peers. Quite a feet when you think about it. The life span of humans has greatly expanded because of improvements in technology and medicine."
"But not us?" Maddex asked.
"Lupmen and Leomen have had their life expectancies expand as well, but not as much," Marie spoke, "Our lives are far more violent then the lives of Humans... not in the sense of war, as Leomen, because of their internal nature to be civilized, rarely go to war. The closest that most Leomen come to military service today is as aid workers for the UN, and Lupmen, while many have been drawn into many wars, sometimes both sides of them, generally cling to their hunting grounds and their own communities. Lupmen and Leomen lead violent lives, but the violence is in hunting, not war. Particularly since both races prefer large animals, like Gold Deer in this area. Which can be powerful. A Gold Deer buck, if attacked in the fall when his antlers are free of their velvet can easily kill a Leoman or Lupman, and some of the Gold Deer that have expanded their range westward have been known to fatally injure Mountain Lions on occasion with their antlers."
"Mule and White Tailed Deer bucks can do the same," Lawrence commented, "though I don't think their chances of doing that are as good. Gold Deer are far smarter then the other two."
"But back to the story..."
++++++++++++
Mal'akh felt she had to ask as she talked with Ingrid and Joy. Their remarks about their condition, and how the Omegas all ended up as mutant wolves surprised her, as to her memory, the only mutant was Twilight, a Leoman who served the witches and then swore loyalty to the Pack when they came in force to take the two pups that the witches had. And from the way Joy and Ingrid talked about this "Martha", she felt she had to meet this mutant wolf.
"And you bare no resentment to Martha for being mutated?" Mal'akh asked.
"No," Joy answered, "she didn't mean to, and our sister wife has always been kind and loves us and our husbands."
"Husbands?" Mal'akh asked, "Isn't normally a single male with four females?"
"Normally, though that is complicated," Ingrid answered.
Mal'akh only sighed, "I know this is sudden, but could I meet this Martha? Something about her reminds me of someone I knew back in my time."
"I'm sure we can arrange it," Joy nodded, "but that will have to wait until everyone else wakes up for the day. Martha is the Prime Omega and is the most responsible for looking after the Pack's pups when they aren't with their parents or being looked after by members of the Pride."
"The Pride looks after your pups?"
"It's usually Brian and Felicity," Ingrid answered, "their cub, Mary is good friends with Betas' daughters and on occasion she looks after them. Jacob and Marie Tyson have occasionally looked after the Alphas' pups from time to time as Trevor and Bart and Kevin were fairly good friends... though that practically stopped when Trevor went missing... though Jenny and Marcy have played with Sabrina from time to time."
"I see," Mal'akh nodded, "I would still like to meet Martha when the timing is more suitable."
"We can arrange it," Ingrid licked Mal'akh's forehead, "but for now, you should rest and heal."
++++++++++++++
1689
Vatican and Joella slowly made their way into the praying town to find it deadly quiet. Joella had half expected to see her "grandpa" waiting for them. He wasn't, or at least he wasn't outside his home.
"Will you be coming in?" Joella asked Vatican.
Vatican looked at Running-Bear's home. It was old and decaying, and in need of great repair, and doors were not made to accommodate his size.
"I'm afraid I do not fit," Vatican answered, "I will stand guard outside."
Joella nodded and went inside. She found her grandfather seated quietly in a chair, though one hand was softly clutching at a blanket pulled up to his chest.
"Grandpa?" Joella asked.
"Joella... you're all...right..." Running-Bear said slowly.
"Are you okay?" Joella asked.
Joella watched the elderly man wince heavily as he tried to sit up, but failed.
"I think my time is coming," Running-Bear said slowly.
"Your time?"
"My time on this world," Running-Bear answered.
"You can't die! You can't! The hunters are gonna kill my mothers! You have to save them!" Joella urged, "tell them that my mothers are good!"
"At one time they were," Running-Bear nodded, "but things changed... and sadly not for the better... and even if they were still good, young one... I am too old to do anything. And I can see it in the winds. I am not long for this world."
"But what about Lark? What about Jimmy? Rosalie? Oliver? Aimiliona? Francis? Juliana, Mal'akh? Me and all my friends? We need you!"
"Such a kind child," Running-Bear said slowly and carefully hugged Joella to him, "I'm sure you'll all be safe long after I am gone."
"But we love you."
"Then always hold that love," Running-Bear spoke, "I have seen much, and it is my time... I can remember my people's first interactions with the Puritans as friends. I can remember when that changed into conversion and war... and I remember coming here at the end of it. And I remember your Grandmother Balthilde and the pain and fear in her eyes as she pleaded with me to save your mothers. I remember your mothers as children. And I have seen what they have become."
Joella looked up to him.
"Wars always have two sides," Running-Bear coughed, "the Hunters are not solely responsible for what happened in Glendale. Your mothers did play some role in that, and it is their sins and refusal to compromise that set the battle in Glendale in motion. Do not make them enemies because they are different, Joella. It will only lead you to sorrow."
"I'm sad already," Joella told him.
"That will heal in time," Running-Bear replied "time is the healer of all things. But it can not heal if you desire revenge, for that is God's and God's alone. Not ours to take. All we can do is try to be just. Always be the kind person you are Joella... and maybe through your example, there will be no more war..."
He then slumped further into his chair.
"Grandpa?"
No answer.
"Grandpa?"
Again no answer. This time, Joella burst into tears and hugged at him as the old Shaman died.