The Lost Song - Prologue: History

1982. Information on the eclipses can be found on the Alaska Science Forum.

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"Annette is dead."

The messenger's voice carried easily through the cold night air in the mountains of New England where werewolves gathered. Without a cloud in sight, the full Moon brilliantly lit up the sky. The messenger stopped running when he reached the edge of the clearing and looked around. Heads turned towards him, everyone falling silent in surprise. One belonged to the man he was looking for. "Annette is dead," he reiterated to the Alpha.

"What?" The Alpha stood abruptly and walked over to the messenger, becoming more angry with each step. "How!" he demanded to know.

"I do not know," the messenger replied. He was panting lightly, indicating the run had been a long one. "We found her body floating in a lake about an hour ago."

Whispering began amongst the others present. "What will we do?" "Who will keep the peace?" "Will we be able to stand them without her?" "How will we know who to trust?" were questions asked between the statements of what a tragedy this was.

There was no doubt in the Alpha's mind this signaled hard times ahead, not only for his pack but for the whole lodge. Despite her young age, Annette was usually a key figure in dealings with the other lodges and with non-werewolves. She had a talent for dealing with disparate types. Her gut instincts had never lead her wrong. She had been special since the day of her first change. Even her birth had been special, taking place under a red Lunar eclipse. Her loss would be felt by many. On a personal level as well, for she had one of those genuine personalities that made everyone she called friend love her, and everyone else want her to call them friend.

The Alpha leaned back and howled a long mournful wail. Others joined in, their voices lifting high into the night a chorus of loss. When the last howl drifted off, the Alpha gathered his pack.

"We are going to hunt! If it takes all night, or longer, we will hunt down who killed our packmate and make them pay," he announced. He balled one of his hands and slammed the fist into his other hand. "There will be time enough to mourn later. We must act before the trail is cold!" Then he turned to the messenger. "Lead us to the lake."

Everyone leapt to their feet and rallied themselves for the hunt. Many shifted into {wolf form} in anticipation. The group was quickly organized. But as it began to head out a call was heard, immediately followed by a faint cry of pain from a farther source.

"Arthur! Come quick!" the call said.

Arthur turned from his position in the pack at the sound of the urgency with which his name had been spoken. But a stern look from the Alpha kept him from moving any further.

A human came into view. He stopped abruptly at the sight of all the werewolves staring at him. It was a moment before he gathered himself enough to continue on his mission and looked around. "Arthur!" he exclaimed again as his eyes found who he was seeking. "Your wife! She's in labor!" he explained with wild gestures. "Come on, man, come on! Belle's in labor! She's calling for you!"

Arthur looked to the Alpha. He nodded permission for Arthur to go to his wife instead of with the hunt.

As the pack took off in one direction following the messenger, and Arthur and his human messenger in the other, the slightest sliver of a shadow darkened one edge of the moon. An eclipse had begun.



Doomwise's eyes snapped open. Disorientation took hold for a few moments as she struggled to understand where she was. Then she began to feel as well as see. Instantly she knew these were not her eyes, what she felt was not what it felt like to be in her own body. Especially since she felt pain!

She blinked a few times to clear her vision. But when she tried to look down at herself she wasn't allowed. Apparently this dream had something specific it wanted to show her.

All around her there was intense fighting. She could see it and hear it. Werewolves locked in deadly combat, one already dead at her feet, many more littering the battle field. She couldn't tell what the reason was, but she knew she was on the losing side.

There were screams and howls and yelps, all downing out words not meant for her to hear. No matter how much she blinked or wiped her eyes, blood blurred her vision. There was even lightning crackling and flashing about to add to the confusion. Everything worked together to keep her from identifying the enemy. But as she looked around she found pockets of clarity.

First she saw a locus - a source of mystical and spiritual energy. An evidently powerful locus judging by its size. It was being drained by a handful of people while the battle raged nearby. At that moment she knew the battle was not only for survival, but also to defend or steal the locus's power. Only she wasn't able to identify by whom because the bright moonlight reflected by the locus enshrouded the people in shadows. At least now she had an idea of time, it was night under a full moon. She looked on.

Surprisingly, in one area she saw humans fighting as well as werewolves. They appeared to be defending themselves while attempting to retrieve a fallen comrade. There was a semi-circle of dead around the woman they were helping, but Doomwise didn't believe the humans had taken on so many and survived. It was more likely they were wolf-blooded that had been defended by werewolves. And unfortunately for them now had to defend themselves. She looked on to see if she could find their salvation or demise at hand.

The view in another area was of several werewolves trapped by some sort of barrier restraint. They were angry and fiending to help the well outnumbered side. But each time one of them tried to break through the barrier, that one was thrown helpless to the ground by a jolt of energy. That explained why her side was losing, the majority of the forces were walled off from the fight. Which meant there had been forethought and preparation for this attack, a bad combination for an unsuspecting target.

Then a flash of reflected moonlight caught her eye. She turned to see a blade raised high with expected triumph. Then she saw two, then three. The owners of the blades grinned with sadistic glee at their already badly wounded target. He valiantly lifted his arm and blocked one of the attacks, but the other two struck true, one through his chest the other his back. They pulled their weapons out, and the body of the now dead werewolf slipped to the ground.

Suddenly an unearthly cry erupted from behind her, and Doomwise found herself shocked awake.

She stumbled out of bed and to her window, committing every detail of the vision she had just had to memory. Once she was sure she would not be forgetting any of it, she looked up to Luna for comfort. She hated her visions. Most regarded them as a gift, for Doomwise was as powerful a seer as her mother had been. But she considered her so called gift a curse. Still, she would continue to bare the responsibility of her ability, and forewarn all who would listen.

As she calmed herself in the moonlight, she noticed the Moon's profile had changed ever so slightly from being full. (Must be an eclipse,) she realized.



This night, exactly nineteen years to the hour after the eclipse that Annette had been born under, another eclipse began. Which wasn't too strange since Lunar eclipses occur every six months around the world. At first no one paid it much mind, for there was too much else going on. Arthur took his wife's hand and tried everything he could think of to help her through the pain. Doomwise pondered through her vision, trying to find some significance beyond just a vision of coming death and destruction. However, as the pack reached the lake to begin their hunt in earnest and Belle's contractions escalated, this early morning December 30th eclipse turned as peculiarly dark and red as its "twin" nineteen years before.

Just as the Moon was emerging from totality, Belle gave birth. It was immediately obvious to Arthur the blood of werewolves ran strong through the new baby girl. The happy new parents named her Rosemary, meaning "Bane of Evil." Everyone present rejoiced, and announcements to family and friends were made.

By noon the next day rumors were circulating in the Uratha world. The coincidence of Annette's death followed by Rosemary's birth, of the timing and appearance of the eclipses during their births, and of Rosemary being Wolf-blooded, none of it was lost on the werewolves. Quite a bit of attention was turned the baby's way during the next few weeks, everyone hopeful she may have been sent to pick up the mantle of Annette. Letters and gifts welcoming the baby and wishing her blessings in her future swarmed the family. But locally no action was taken on the birth for a while, Arthur's pack and the local members of the lodge spent quite a lot of time grieving Annette's death.

Eventually Arthur's Alpha could no longer ignore the swirling hypotheses centered on one technically in his care. He knew it wouldn't be long before the pressure started for official answers from him, or at least on his behalf. Not knowing where to start looking for those answers, he called on Arthur to arrange for a visit with the child.

Belle was all a-twitter the day the Alpha was coming to meet Rosemary. She constantly moved about the house arranging and re-arranging everything light enough for her to move, fretting over every detail. Her friends had already helped her clean everything spotless, but she still worried.

Arthur rolled his head and closed his eyes. His wife's incessant movements were wearing on him. He was amazed someone could be so active only a couple weeks after giving birth. "Honey!" he pleaded. "Trust me. My Alpha is only coming to see Rosemary. He won't even notice the house!"

"How do I know that?!" she replied, her voice high with anxiety. "He didn't get to where he is by not paying attention to details!"

Arthur sighed. Before he could reply, the doorbell rang.

"That's him!" Belle gasped. She dashed off to the nursery.

Arthur shook his head slightly as he stood and went to the door, half smirking at Belle's reactions on the way. Silently he hoped she wouldn't freeze up. His Alpha's presence tended to intimidate, and add to that the instinctive fear reaction of humans when in the presence of werewolves, he wasn't sure her being used to her husband being a werewolf would be enough.

Arthur was surprised to see more people than he expected on the other side of the door. Accompanying his Alpha was the pack's record keeper, the lodge's local representative, and someone Arthur didn't recognize. Arthur greeted his Alpha with respect, then gestured inside. "Please, come in," he said to them all.

The Alpha nodded. He took only enough steps for the three behind him to enter as well.

"You don't have to dwell in the entryway," Belle's soft voice informed the group, sounding quite the contrast from a minute before. Arthur turned to see his wife cradling his daughter in her arms. She gazed peacefully on the baby, gently swaying from side to side. Ever since her birth, Rosemary had demonstrated a calming effect on any one who held her. Arthur still wondered if that was an effect every baby had or if it was a gift unique to his own.

"We won't be long," the Alpha explained, "and we don't want to be an imposition."

"Nonsense," Belle replied, and turned towards the living room. "You came to visit. Come in, sit down," she said as she walked away.

The five werewolves followed her into the next room. Arthur indicated seats for the other four, then took up a position by his wife who had sat down in the rocking chair and was slowly moving back and forth for Rosemary's sake.

"Now," Belle said with a smile, "what can we do for you?"

"I apologize for taking so long to pay my respects," the Alpha started with. "I've...," he glanced in the direction of the representative from the lodge, effectively the one taking Annette's place, "been busy."

"No need to," Belle replied with sympathy in her voice. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," the Alpha replied. He gestured towards Rosemary. "And congratulations to you both."

Belle beamed, Arthur nodded. "Thank you," they said together.

"Speaking of the baby," the representative prompted.

"Yes, yes," the Alpha replied. He motioned for the one Arthur did not know to rise. "This is Mordred Pathfinder, a talented seer," he gave as an introduction.

Belle frowned slightly, but otherwise her demeanor did not change enough for Arthur to determine what she was thinking. Mordred stood and bowed his head slightly.

"Because of the circumstances," Arthur observed aloud.

"Yes," Mordred and the Alpha replied.

Arthur sensed Belle tense up next to him, and placed a hand on her shoulder to ease her.

"My child," she whispered under her breath.

"We just wish to know what her future holds," the Alpha stated the obvious at the same time.

"Nothing will happen to her," Mordred assured Belle as he approached her and Rosemary. "I simply need to hold her."

"No," Belle answered with as much authority as she could muster.

"Arthur," the Alpha ordered.

Arthur nodded and gestured for Mordred to continue.

Belle narrowed her eyes at Mordred. She watched him step up to her chair, only moving enough to keep her eyes trained on him. Once it was clear Belle was not going to hand the baby up to him, Arthur leaned over and took Rosemary from Belle. He hesitated a moment, knowing form his wife's look at him he would pay for this later. But he turned Rosemary over to Mordred as was his duty.

Mordred held her carefully in one arm. For the next several moments he slowly waved his other hand over her. While he was doing so, Rosemary woke. At first she just followed the motion of his hand. When she started making soft noises and seemingly gestured to grab his hand, Belle jumped up from her chair.

"She's hungry."

Arthur tightened his grip on Belle's shoulder, holding her back from Mordred.

Belle started to vocalize her protest, but was cut off when one of Rosemary's small flailings managed to connect with Mordred's moving hand. A popping sound occurred and a spirit appeared, surprising everyone. It took the form of a little silver bird and alighted on Mordred's hand. As Rosemary coo-ed at the shiny form the bird looked down on her.

"An avatar spirit," Mordred very quietly informed the room with a touch of awe.

"Yes, she has a destiny," the bird chirped, the words sounding much like a tin bell ringing. "Many found and many lost. Hers is to save the future generation." With that proclamation the spirit disappeared, accompanied by another popping sound.

Belle reacted first, grabbing Rosemary away from Mordred while the werewolves pondered the message. Her action surprised the rest, causing everyone to jump and react.

Thankfully Mordred's reaction was to take a step back. Arthur had the benefit of having felt his wife pull away from him, and so managed to get between Belle and the rest before anything violent had a chance of occurring. All the sudden commotion scared Rosemary, who began to cry.

"Now see what you've done!" Belle accused.

Arthur reached behind himself and placed his hand on Belle. "You have what came for, yes?" he asked bluntly of those before him.

"For now," the representative began to say.

"Yes," the Alpha answered firmly over the representative. "We'll talk more later."

Arthur nodded. He looked to Belle, making sure she was alright for the moment. She was intentionally ignoring everyone else and trying to quiet Rosemary. So he saw the other werewolves to the door. When he returned to the living room, he expected to be facing a fight. Instead he saw tears.

"Belle..."

"She's my child," Belle protested weakly. "They can't have her."

Arthur wrapped his arms around her. "You knew it was possible any child of ours would grow to be Uratha," he reminded her, not understanding her sudden change of heart. "You were okay with it."

"Yes, but this is different. Don't you hear it? Can't you see what's in their eyes? They're going to take her away," she lamented. "Losing my baby when she's a teenager to your world isn't the same as losing her while she's a baby!"

Arthur held Belle as tight as he dared. He didn't have a reply. He honestly did not know what the pack or lodge would do with the spirit's prophesy for Rosemary. He knew word of it would spread as rapidly as the rumors surrounding her birth had. Which meant he expected they wouldn't have to wait long to find out what would happen.

Eventually the news crossed the country to Colorado and reached Doomwise's ears. To her there was another layer of coincidence surrounding Rosemary, as the night of her birth had been the one of Doomwise's most recent vision. She felt there was a connection, and had a need to know what it was. So she put aside her day to day responsibilities for a while to make the trip to visit the new baby.