An honored Promise

Part 1

Janet walked into the living room area of her cabin. It was a large cabin and her family had been pretty well off. In the summer a team of farmers would take care of the farm work while she was free to tend to her horses and relax enjoying life. It had been four months since her father died and the summer equinox had just come. She sat in her father’s chair and looked at the fireplace. Janet thought about her father his pipe still lied on the fireplace mantle and the smell of his tobacco still emanated from his chair. She thought about her father, she still missed him a lot and it was hard to live in the house without him. Janet was strong willed and had every intension to fulfill his last request this being her only real drive at this point. Her mind wandered and she found her self-sitting next to her father on his deathbed as he spoke to her.

“Dear daughter, I must tell you your heritage before I go,” his voice was a wheeze and he coughed every so often, “You have always asked of my ring and what it meant. Well it is one of many that symbolize the packed that has mystically bonded us to the supernatural for almost three hundred years. Your ancestors were the last of the magi in the house of Jeko-cag and now a power like nothing you could believe will be yours to control. A second family is bonded to us but they are not human. Please I know what I say is strange and unbelievable but it is true not just the ramblings of an old man. We are linked to werewolves but they are not the monsters of myth but real flesh and blood creatures. Our family is sworn to help them in any time of need, regardless of risk and consequence they are bound the same. Your mother was the last sorceress to bear the ring and soon it will empower you. You are a sorceress you will understand what that means in time. The werewolves have kept our family safe from harm for a long time and in return we have helped them survive. If any wolf or human ever comes to you and bears a ring like my own you must help them in any way possible. Please promise me that you will my daughter.”

“Yes father I will, I swear to uphold our family code,” she hastily replied.

“Good Janet I’m glad you can do this for me. Now I must tell you what you should know. If you ever need help you have but to think about it, never fear the wolf for he will never harm you, he is our friend. Do you remember the waterfalls up north of here? It has been a while since you were there.”

“Yes father of course,” Janet replied.

“Good on the bottom of the pool you will find a jewel incrusted box. You will need to retrieve it. My ring will open the case and inside you will find eleven rings like mine. Six of these rings will be in leather pouches with straps to hold them from. Behind the waterfall you will find six indents in the rock and will place one of these pouches in each. The other five you will wear with mine. These rings are the focus of your power, you need only one to cast magic. You will know how when it is time. The power comes from within and only you and other women of our family can use them, it is in our blood our heritage. After you have done this you can send word of my passing. I know I’m supposed to be optimistic but if I’m alive none of this matters. Your uncle Sektree will claim two of the rings one for his daughter and one for her husband. A man will come to you the day of mourning and ask you to meet with the elders of his clan. He will have one of the rings from the waterfall. It is important that you listen to this man for he is my friend and most trusted ally. He is a werewolf and the elder of his clan the ones you meet are the local clan that we are linked to, again you have but to think of one in time of trouble to summon them. I hope you will be able to look past their appearance to see they are not the monsters they are perceived to be. They will explain anything you ask, the answers to all the questions you may have about the packed and them in general.

I wish I didn’t have to hit you with all this before it was time but I fear I won’t be here much longer, remember Janet that I love you and I will always be with you when you are in need, goodbye my daughter.”

His breathing slowed and his eyes closed. Janet cried as her father’s dead body now lye before her the only thing she could think to do for him was honor the packed. She wasn’t sure what that entailed but she had her instructions. Janet snapped out of her daydream and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

Janet had already gotten ready to go to the waterfall and knew it would be time to go for a swim soon. She finished her coffee and stood. She wore a pair of shorts and a skimpy t-shirt under a heavy robe. Her golden hair and milky white skin made her very attractive in the light and she looked in a mirror on the wall after putting the cup in the sink. She lit a lamp and made one more look around before she closed the door behind her. Her favorite horse thunder was already saddled and ready to go. Janet brushed his side and he quickly looked around and then nudged her with his head. He was a beautiful black stallion and was well trained and friendly. She mounted the horse and proceeded into the forest. During the ride she thought about her father. She wasn’t a believer and all of this seemed like non-sense but a promise is a promise she would say to herself. Mages and werewolves were just stories to frighten kids and the idea that she would become one was preposterous to her. Janet started to laugh and realized how stupid she must look going into the forest to search for magic rings and wolf monsters that were her protectors. She reached the clearing of the falls after about half an hour and watched the waterfall gracefully over the cliff as the moonlight lit up the clear pond at its base.

Janet dove in and swam for a short while before finally deciding to dive down. It took almost an hour of diving before she finally came across the large jewelry box that had four small rubies with a larger emerald in the center. On the front of the box was a crest her family crest and a sapphire in the shape of a curved tooth. She came to shore and put on the robe she had worn to the falls. Janet put the box on a rock and looked at the ring. It was gold with diamond chips in a circle and a crystal in the middle. The ring began to glow and she felt strange. She started to see images and words flow in front of her eyes. This scared her for a moment but she couldn’t resist the urge to speak. Her hand pointed to the moon against her will and then she spoke.

“Olaso-vansouvo-cornal,” she said without knowing why.

A beam of light shot down hitting the crystal and then from the crystal to the emerald on the jewelry box. It was an odd thing for her to deal with as she started to take what her father said a little more seriously. The four rubies glowed as the tooth shaped sapphire turned and the box opened on its own. She put on the five rings that looked like hers and then took out the six pouches. As she slid the last of the five rings on her fingers she was dazed by a wave of words and images filling her mind and becoming part of her knowledge. She now began to realize her power as spells and magical knowledge seemed to be possessed in her memory.

Janet stood and looked at the rings. Every time she thought of a spell that she seemed to now know the rings glowed with a fiery passion. She decided to test her powers and her knowledge.

"Nos-ven-thundra" she stated pointing the ring at the pond. A beam of blue energy shown from the rings hitting the pond waters and her fathers face appeared before her and spoke.

"Yes my daughter...you are beginning to understand your destiny. You will become a powerful force to protect the forest and our clan’s brethren. You are destining to become the most powerful of all mages to ever cast mage in our clan. I am proud of you and remember that death can no longer keep us apart. Your powers are only just beginning to develop but you are more powerful that I thought possible already. You can summon my spirit to the pool any time you need my council and I want you to follow your heart. Till you summon me again my daughter I bid you good day"

As he spoke the last words the face disappeared. Janet fulfilled her power as her memory had told her how. She floated to the cliff over the falls and raised all six rings to the air and chanted the sacred ritual that she instinctively knew. As she chanted the skis filled with dark clouds and thunder and lightning filled the air. She heard wolves howling in the forest as bolt after bolt of lightning came down from the heavens striking the rings and her body. No pain or discomfort befell her as she felt true power flowing through her body energizing her to full potential. When the lightning stopped she floated back to the ground and looked around. Six wolves stepped from the clearing and she could hear their thoughts. She smiled as she saw a tattoo on the front shoulder of each matching her family crest and knew that it was all true.

Janet looked at the waterfall and smiled as the waters parted revealing the six pouches she placed in their spots only minutes earlier. She waved her hand and they floated to her and she put them down in front of her. One by one the wolves walked to her and took one of the pouches. The last stopped before her and she kissed him on the forehead and smiled. He gave a lick to her cheek before they all ran back to the forest. Janet returned to her horse and rode back to her cottage to ponder the rest of her pact. She now considered the future of her clan and what the prophecy’s had in stored for her.