Isabella

Rafa woke to the sounds of Nat moving around. "Morning Nat." He said as he stretched his back with out letting go of Isabella.

"It's more like good afternoon Rafa and you really should go see your dad. He's going ballistic that Juan Carlos as already issued her pardon and let everyone know that she is a member of our tribe now."

"Why is he ballistic?"

"Well he thinks she was the one that hurt you. I also think he is afraid of her healing power."

Rafa rolled his eyes His father was not one to show a lot of emotions but that just made those emotions that much stronger. He slowly rose to his hooves in one smooth motion he took the blanket off of his shoulders and handed it to Nat. "If we need to, could we stay here, while I build our own place if he feels that way about her; I doubt that my father will let her stay in his house."

"Of course you two can stay," Nat laughed gently, "I'll enjoy having some one helping me out around here. And I welcome the company, Apolo has been gone for a few weeks now and I'm getting lonely."

"Thank you Nat, I'm sure Apolo will be back soon." He patted her shoulder as he passed.

"Do you want to lay her on my bed while you talk to your father?"

"No Nat he has to start getting use to the idea that we are a package deal. Where she goes, I go."

"As you wish Rafa, good luck."

Rafa squinted as he left the longhouse until his eyes got use to the bright sunshine. He smiled as he heard Isabella sigh and stretch in her sleep as the sunlight warmed the blanket that was still wrapped around her. He walked to his parent's longhouse. It saddened him that he already felt like the place that up to a few days ago had been his home too was no longer his home. He pushed aside the flap and knocked on the frame as he stepped in. His mother turned from the fire place where she had been putting on a pot to boil. When she saw it was him she smiled and walked toward him, but he notice that she was purposely ignoring what he was carrying. He continued into the longhouse. "Hi mom," She careful hugged him so that she barely touched Isabella.

"Your dad said you were poisoned and that some witch had you under a spell. So is she a witch?"

"Well Mom, Dad is partly right I was poisoned but Isabella is no witch and I'm under no spell. She's able to heal with touch. She absorbed the poison out of me and was able to expel it into a plant of Nat's. That is why she is still sleeping; she is exhausted. I would be dead if it hadn't been for her. I want you to know that she saved my life three times last night." Rafa then went on to tell his mother about the fight in the cabin, the man in the forest and the poison.

"Poor dear, she did all that and I treated her poorly when she got here."

Rafa could tell his mom felt terrible about what ever she had done but he couldn't help but feel angry at her for adding to Isabella's suffering. He had a good idea of what his father may have done to her. "What did you do to her?" his voice had a cold hard edge in it the made his mother nervous.

"When your father had her tied up in the prison longhouse I threw water on her. I thought she was the reason I was losing you. I am so sorry."

"I can't forgive you for that, only Isabella can."

"How did such a wise son to come from two foolish parents?" She gently touched Isabella's hair noticing the dried mud. "You couldn't get the mud out of her hair?"

"No I couldn't hold her and get it out at the same time."

"If you can hold her I think I can get the mud out of it if you would like. I want to start making up for what I have done."

Rafa smiled; he could never stay mad at either of his parents for long, "Sure mom." He laid down and held Isabella so her head was resting on his shoulder and her face was facing the door.

His mom grabbed some water and a comb and started to wash and comb the mud out. "I'm glad that he was just over anxious over your delayed return. And she really is a beautiful girl you brought with you. Did you have to come here with her as she still sleeps?"

"I want dad to see that she is mine and I will not leave her."

"It is your choice, but do you want to lay her down on your furs when we get done with her hair?"

Rafa smiled at his mom, "No mom I want her in my arms, I need to feel her breathing. Besides I don't think dad will be happy to see her; I don't think he is ready to forgive her for whatever he thinks she did."

"She tried to kill you and, if she didn't do that she almost got you killed." Sebastián said as he stepped thought the door. The shadows hiding his face as the brilliant light out lined him and made his tense body seem almost sinister. Rafa actually felt threatened and quickly got up being carful not to hurt either his mother or Isabella.

"She saved my life three times last night; she's going to be my mate. You can either accept that or you can't. If you can't accept that I'll get my things and leave."

"Then you might as well leave I'll never accept that thing as something belonging to my family. But, if you leave know that you are no longer my son and my mate's new child will not be any brother of yours."

Rafa looked at his mother, he had not known that she was pregnant, but now he could see that her belly was defiantly bigger then normal. "I'm sorry you feel that way." He then picked up his few things like his extra sword, his arrows and a bow off of the wall. His mother started to cry as she laid the furs that made up his bed on his back so that he could take them with him. "I'll see you around I'm sure, Good bye Mom, Dad."

With a heavy heart he walked stiffly past his father and out the door. He was almost to Nat's longhouse when Juan Carlos walked over. Rafa felt his gaze take in everything from Isabella still nestled in his arm to the bow slug over the other and the hides on his back.

"Your father still mad?" he smiled at Rafa and put his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe over time as the rest of the tribe accepts her, he will too? If not, then I'll gladly claim the both of you as my children." Rafa smiled. His chief had three strong sons and it would be an honor to be placed with them.

"Thank you your majesty we'd be honored but lets give everyone time to get use to her." Rafa looked around and noticed that many had been staring at him. "I don't think my dad is the only one who distrusts her. As I walked back here everyone fled from me as if I was carrying a plague. We all need a little time. Now if I may be excused your Majesty." Rafa bowed his head to Juan Carlos and then entered Nat's longhouse.

"Hi, Nat where can I put my stuff?"

Nat looked at Rafa sadly "I can't say I didn't expect you back but I was hoping it would have gone better. You can put it over here I cleared out a corner for you two and hung some blankets so you can have at lest some privacy." Nat helped Rafa settle the hides in to a soft mound. On which Rafa finally set Isabella onto. She whimpered as he let her go. But when he brushed his thumb over her face she sighed and settled back down.

"I'm going to go talk to Feli and Moya and see if they will help me build my own place. Since I now have no family to help me."

Nat placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about you dad Rafa but you may want to ask your uncle Toni. He was healed by her and they seemed to get along well last night."

"Thank you Nat for everything is there anything you want or need me to do for you?"

"No I'm good and I'm happy to help her."

With that Rafa left the longhouse and almost collided with his uncle Toni who was cantering over to Nat's. Rafa was immediately on alert. "What is wrong, more men? The Werewolves?"

Toni just laughed and hugged Rafa "Nothing that bad, I just heard you were up and I wanted to see you as quickly as possible. I see your dad kicked you out. I'm sorry; do you want to stay with us?"

"You, Aunt Aida, and your three sons? No thank you, Isabella is still sleeping, she needs quite spaces. Nat is going to let us stay here. But I could use your help in building my own place I was on my way to ask Feli and Moya to help me."

"It would be an honor to help you build your own place. Do you have any idea where you want to have your longhouse?"

"No, I just want something close to the tribe but set back a little ways so those who don't like Isabella don't have to see her everyday."

"I've got the perfect place. Come."

Rafa cautiously fallowed his uncle as Toni lead him though a small grouping of trees. The trees opened into a sheltered triangular meadow. On the one side the soft grass gave way to fine sand as the meadow meet the rivers edge. The other side sloped gently up to meet the mountains that protected them. Rafa could see how if built right their long house would only add to the beauty of the meadow. Isabella would like it here amongst the flowers. Rafa noticed that there was a cave in the mountain side.

"Every one stays away from this place because of the cave; there's nothing there I checked. But it does give me an eerie felling. We can build it right into the cave if you want that way in the summer when she is tired, like she is now, you can place her there she'd be both safe and cool."

"That sounds good but I have to know why do you want to help me? I thought you'd be on my dad's side of this."

"I would have if she hadn't cut me with that sword."

Rafa looked at his uncle quizzically. "She cut you?"

"Yes while she was trying to protect you, I kind of charged at her, it was an accident but she then quickly healed me. I figure any one with that gift must be nice especially since she got the cut she gave me?"

"I didn't find any cut when I washed her."

"I know that's how she got the binds off when your father tied her up. I looked at the ropes they were all clean cut. She's smart I promise you I'll stand beside the both of you no matter what your father does."

"Thanks Toni," Rafa put his hand on his uncle's shoulder. "I appreciate that, your right as always this place is perfect for us. Let's get Feli and Moya so we can start working on it."

It was not hard finding Feli and Moya as they were practicing their sword fighting. It took very little to get them to come and help Rafa. Rafa could tell they were worried about him and even a little nervous about the girl he had chosen, but apparently they wanted to be close to their friend if there was trouble. By the end of the first day they had the poles cut and the first holes dug. Tomorrow they would put the poles in and start making the frame. It would take about two weeks to build the house. Rafa returned to Nat's and as he entered he noticed all the things that he and Isabella would have to do with out. Usually when a mate was brought to the tribe she stayed with her mate's family learning the skills that she would need to run her centaur's home. Isabella had no one to teach her and the longhouse would be done before she woke up enough to start making any thing. Nat read his face.

"Don't worry about it Rafa. I don't think your home will be as empty as you think it will be. I heard you are one of the king's sons now; do you think he would give you nothing?"

Rafa laughed at Nat's spunk. "I am not his son yet. I know I am not alone here but Isabella deserves better. Rafa reached down and picked Isabella up in his arms but stopped when a pure white lizard came out of the blanked and hissed at him. "Nat, what is that and when did it come in?" He was nervous about anything else strange about Isabella.

"Oh him, the last time when Isabella was here to help the colt, Ryan, she had also helped that thing. It had hissed at Ryan but he trampled it to get to the berries. Apolo said that it won't hurt anyone unless it has to defend it's self. He also made me promise that I would let it in our house. Apolo acts like he is afraid of it, but it; is so little I can't see why he would be afraid. I think it understands us; at least it moves when I ask it to."

"Okay," Rafa looked at the little white lizard and thought he understood Apolo, he felt like it was stronger then him. "I am only going to pick her up I mean her no harm." Rafa felt stupid talking to the lizard. But the lizard settled down ant Rafa was able to pick Isabella up. He rubbed his cheek against Isabella's hair as he continued to talk to Nat. "You know Nat we need to get her some clothes she can't start walking around naked that would just cause more trouble. And you may have some one need you soon."

"I have clothes that will fit her. But I think the blanket will be just fine for now. If nothing else while you are working on the longhouse we can put her back in my room to keep her hidden. Now will you eat; you didn't stop for lunch and I don't need you getting weak on us. I already got her to drink some chicken broth so I think she will be good for the night."

Rafa sighed and knew Nat was right so he put Isabella back down and started to eat. That is when he realized how hungry he was; he ate a whole chicken and two loafs of bread before he realized that he had eaten most of her food. When he looked at her to apologize she just put her hand up and said. "Don't say anything I knew you were hungry. I already ate some chicken so I am good and full. I am off to bed, see you in the morning.

With that Nat left and walked to her back room. Rafa cleared the table and washed the dishes in the tub of water that he would dump out for Nat tomorrow morning. He then settled in to sleep with Isabella in his arms again.

Over the next few days his life fell into a routine. He would wake up in the morning and take care of a few things for Nat. Like bringing in a deer to help restock her supplies and after a rainy night he fixed a leak in her roof. Then he would meet up with Feli, Moya, and Toni to work on the longhouse. They had decided that they wouldn't make it into the cave as it would take too much to heat in the winter but they did build a small room in the cave where Isabella could go to sleep with out anything or anyone bothering her on the hot days of the summer. Sometimes they had extra help as Juan Carlos and his three sons would help when ever they had some time. But they were being kept busy with all the people who wanted Isabella gone.

Rafa knew that the only reason they hadn't gone into Nat's home and dragged Isabella out is that they wanted to keep Rafa around and to throw Isabella out was to throw Rafa out. It was a nice warm day when they final finished the long house. Normally the next day would have see a celebration for the new couple as they moved there things from the families' longhouse to their longhouse. Instead Rafa knew that he would just carry his few things in and try and make Isabella comfortable.

He was surprised when he entered Nat's longhouse and found Isabella sitting at the table. She smiled and got up, she took two quick steps, she got shaky and almost fell but Rafa caught her and picked her up.

"I take it you are feeling better. I am glad to have you back in the land of the living."

She smile and used her hand on his face to show him a picture of her kissing him. He smiled and bent his head to kiss her. Nat playfully slapped his arm with a wooden spoon to get his attention when the kiss was going on for too long.

"You two want to do that go to your own longhouse."

"Tomorrow night we will be in our own longhouse." Rafa smiled down at Isabella.

She was smiling back at him when they heard a horn blowing. Rafa quickly put is bow over one shoulder as he put her down, and grabbed his sword with the hand. "Stay with Nat I have to go see what the trouble is."

Rafa joined in with the rest of the men who were all galloping to where the horn was sounding. It was a young sentry who was very relieved as the men came. Just on the other side of the protections stone there stood a man who was flanked by two wolves the size of small bears. The men all held their swords ready to strike if the protection stones should fail. But they parted when Juan Carlos came walking though.

"You are the leader of this tribe correct?" the man said in a polite but sarcastic voice.

"Yes and you are a pack of werewolves. If you want to attack you can see you are out numbered and you have already found out you can't cross those stones. So turn around and leave we will not follow you."

"Like we expect you to keep your words; your kind has killed ours since before our histories were written down."

"You have killed us just as long. We are peaceful and don't want to harm you but if you don't leave or if you try to cross the stones again we will kill you."

"There is no honor amongst thieves like you so your words are hollow to us."

"No one here is a thief." Rafa angrily called out as he stepped up beside his king, thinking they had insulted his king.

"Yes it is you who is a thief." The man pointed at Rafa. "You stole one of our greatest treasures and we want her back! We are only the ones who were sent to check on her when she did not make her trip to see us. We found her house burned to the ground and that thing's scent all around it. So what happened she wouldn't leave with you so you stole her killing our friends? Give her back and we will leave you in peace as you said you would leave us. Don't and we will bring our whole pack down on you and there will be others besides our pack coming. I doubt these stones work against shape shifters or the Druids, just us werewolves. I will give you three days to decide."

"Thank you for the time." Juan Carlos nodded his head and turned around as the man changed into his wolf form and all three wolves left. "Rafa you come with me. Anton I need you to set up patrols. Divide the men into three shifts; I trust in the stones and I doubt that they would attack with out knowing where the girl is but I don't want to be surprised. You three take the message to the Elves that we need their help again. It should only take you a day and a half so be quick we have no time to lose." The three he had pointed to took off at a hard galloped in three different directions going to the three Elf villages as it was hard to know in which one the elves would be in at this time of the year.

Rafa walked back to the King's long house before Juan Carlos spoke. "Rafa I know you love her I have seen it when you look at her and the care in which you built your house. And she is a member of our tribe and I would not usually hand over a member of our tribe. But they are right; shape shifters can cross the stones. The Druids won't need to they can turn every stone and tree against us. Even with the Elves on our side we may not stand much of a chance. Are you sure you want to put the whole village in danger for her? Because think of this, even if we win by some miracle we will lose some of our men that will be held against her no matter how many she is able to save with her touch."

Rafa thought of it for a moment. "I will not give her up, but I can not make the decision on my own I will have to ask her what she wants."

"Oh is she awake?"

"She just woke up tonight. I finally get her back only to lose her."

Juan Carlos put his hand on Rafa's shoulder. "Perhaps we will win or they will let you go with her. She loves you and I doubt that she will want to leave you any more than you want to let her go. We will use the next three days preparing for war. Go and tell her and see what she decides."

Rafa bowed and left; Nat was at the door as he entered. "What is it? Are the werewolves back?"

"Yes and they brought friends the Shape shifters and the Druids. They want Isabella." He then walked past Nat and looked down at Isabella. "Did you know they would come for you?"

She couldn't look at him as she sadly nodded.

"Are you a werewolf?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want to go with them?"

She reached up and touched his face and showed him a picture of him holding her as he walked away from the village with the werewolves.