The Day They Buried Their Luna

　　Lysara's POV

　　The healer's hands were warm on my tummy and for a split second, I felt only that warmth. "Everything looks perfect, Luna," she said, straightening up. Heart rate is good and you're recovering from fatigue you mentioned last week – you and baby are both OK."

　　"Thank you, Wren." I exhaled the breath I could not remember that I had been holding. "I can't tell you how much I needed to hear that today."

　　"Worrying too much for someone with your gift," Wren said, tilting her head. "You heal half this pack with your bare hands, and you still can't believe that your body is okay."

　　I smoothed my dress down, "It's different when it's you. If it's someone else, I see the wound, if it's me, I can only see fear."

　　Wren giggled, and she helped me off the examination table. "Well, there's nothing to worry about, go home and sleep, you look as if you haven't slept straight in days."

　　She wasn't wrong. I thanked her again, and I left the hospital and the warm midday sun, and walked back to the palace. I put a hand to my tummy, and smiled for a brief moment, for this secret joy was solely for me and the baby that lived within me.

　　However, this smile was not to be. It never did any more.

　　I was already thinking about Kaelor when I got to the steps of the palace. He was to return in the evening — some business with the Ferngrove Pack that he had to attend to in person. I said to myself that at night when he came back, I would try again. I would ask him what was the matter with him. Why he would flinch sometimes when I touched him, why his eyes no longer softened when they found mine, I would ask him.

　　But scarcely had I arrived at my chambers and loosened the knots of my cloak, when a sharp, urgent knock came at the door, not like the soft raps my handmaidens gave.

　　I said "Come in".

　　A palace guard came in and he was so tight in his expression. "Luna Lysara. The council demands your presence right away."

　　I blinked. "The council? Did they say why?"

　　"No, Luna, that was imperative"

　　I had a knot in my chest that I couldn't explain. The council seldom called me without warning, most often there was a warning, a time, and some courtesy extended to the Luna of the pack. This felt different.

　　I said, "Let me change into something more suitable and wait for the alphas return."

　　"Luna, they said right away."

　　I studied his face. Regardless of what was going on, he didn't seem to know what it was and the urgency in his voice was enough to negate any thought of changing. I just straightened my cloak and went with him.

　　The walk towards the council chamber seemed to be longer than ever before. I thought of all sorts of things that could have happened, such as a border dispute, some issue of pack law, maybe it was the harvest deal with Ferngrove. None of it explained why the guard's jaw remained tight throughout his walk, why he didn't look me in the eye.

　　As the doors opened, I saw all seven elders sitting, two council scribes and several guards at the walls. My stomach clenched even more. In my time as Luna, I had been to dozens of council sessions. I'd never seen so many people come together for anything but the most serious of issues.

　　"Elders," I said, bowing my head as I walked in. "I was told this was urgent."

　　Head Elder Bastian did not get up and come to greet me as he would normally do. His face was old and expressionless, his hands clasped in front of him.

　　"Lysara Ashwyn," he replied. "Many thanks for your prompt attendance."

　　"Of course." I glanced around the chamber, searching for some clue in their faces. "Has something happened?"

　　"Please, sit."

　　"If it's okay with you," I said, "I'd prefer to stand. Elder Bastian, you're scaring me, I just want to know what's going on here?"

　　He glanced at the older man next to him, and then spoke again. "There has been an accusation brought before this council, a formal complaint, only made this morning, concerning the death of the late Luna, Elowen Draven."

　　I couldn't make out the words for a moment. Just didn't fit together in any way that made sense.

　　I repeated myself, "An accusation.I said slowly. "Against whom?"

　　"Against you."

　　The room was as if it was about to fall over. "Against me?"

　　"That's what the complaint says. The complaint states that Elowen's death wasn't a natural one; she was poisoned; and you were responsible." Elder Bastian said.

　　I laughed, a brief and skeptical laugh, but it ended as soon as I saw none of their faces had softened. "That's impossible, I was with her every day, 3 months, hardly got any sleep, trying to save her, ask any of the healers who worked with me, ask Wren, ask Old Maren, ask anyone who doled in that sickroom."

　　Elder Bastian spoke softly and evenly, "We know of your work, Lysara. Here there is no one judging, but a formal complaint has been lodged, and pack law calls for investigations of formal complaints even if made against someone other than a pack member."

　　"No matter who it is," I added. "I am your Luna."

　　The other elder said quietly, "And Elowen was the mother of the Alpha. Titles don't change the law in the case of a death."

　　My hands had started to shake and I pressed my hands together to calm them. "Then let me tell you everything, let me tell you what happened day by day, hour by hour if you want to know; I have nothing to hide".

　　Elder Bastian sighed. "There is no time for story telling. But not until the Alpha is here to preside over these proceedings, this concerns his mother, it is only right that he be here."

　　"Then send for him," I said. "Send for him now. I don't want to sit here and get called the murderer of the woman I called family while everyone waits for—"

　　The old man said quietly, "He's been sent for already. As I speak, he is returning from Ferngrove."

　　I was about to say more, but his tone was so final, no more explanations; not until Kaelor showed up. So I waited. I waited there for hours, the old men speaking in hushed tones to one another, avoiding eye contact for longer than a few seconds. A servant brought me water I didn't drink. Or another one gave me a chair that I rejected twice before I sat in, too wobbly to stand.

　　The doors opened at last, and I heard the familiar heavy footsteps that I would have recognized anywhere, and my heart went all aflutter, and my relief washed over me like a wave, and made me cry.

　　I rose immediately, and crossed the room towards him, "Kaelor," I breathed. "Kaelor, thank the Goddess, tell them this is madness, tell them—","

　　He walked past me.

　　Not a glance. Not a word. Not even the little courtesy of acknowledging that I'd mentioned his name.

　　Again, 'Kaelor' I said, my voice cracking as I reached for his arm.

　　He walked past my hand and sat down at the head of the table, beside Elder Bastian, his stone face. The Kaelor who used to grab me and hug me every time he walked through a door, who used to press his lips to my forehead before I could even get a sentence out, was long gone from the man who refused to see me.

　　I lowered my hand slowly, my chest hollowing in with something far colder than fear.

　　Elder Bastian coughed. "Now that the Alpha has come, maybe we can go ahead."

　　I was forced to turn back to the elders, but every part of me wanted to keep looking at Kaelor and demanding he explain himself and that he look at me the way he used to.

　　Elder Bastian's voice echoed through the council, "The council has received evidence regarding the death of Elowen Draven. In addition, a witness has come forward, who is willing to testify before this council and the Luna both."

　　A witness.

　　In spite of all this, my heart rose. A witness would substantiate what I already knew — that I had done all that could be done for Elowen, there was no poison, no malice there, but only grief and helplessness in that sickroom. The one who came forward would put an end to this nightmare, before it even starts.

　　Elder Bastian said "Bring in the witness."

　　The doors of the chamber opened and my best friend came in.

　　"Seris?" I mumbled.