Twilight: One Foot in Front of the Other

Chapter 4 What Did Carlisle do Bite a Mountian

The morning brought with it the relief that the soreness had gone, at lest I still heal quickly thought Shan as she dressed for the day, I not want to be doing that again The sickness that had ravaged her body just days before didn’t seem to have left any permanent damaged. Now if only she knew what everyone was up to, all the whispering was getting old. You will find out soon enough sighs Shan, Eleazar told her the night before not to make any plans for today he and Carmen wanted to talk with her. By his tone she was not going to like this talk at all, he was so demanding. Why couldn't he understand that not everyone likes to talk, and some things well just was nobody’s busyness but her own. O he could be so annoying! I bet it is his no leaving with out telling someone speech again it wasn't that she was ungrateful just that sometimes... urge! “Good morning Carmen, where is everyone?





“Good morning, you look like you got a little more sleep than normal. It is just you, me and Eleazar today, the girls went hunting.”





“O,” groans Shan heading to the kitchen for some hunting of her own.





“So this is how you want to kick this off than huh? “Eleazar was standing in front of the sink washing his hands.





“No!” groans Shan thinking “so much for breakfast” not that she poetically like breakfast, most times she just opted to pass it all together. It just she just got up, boy was it going to be a long day





“Eleazar, she just woke let her eat,” soothes Carmen, placing a hand on his shoulder, “than we can start out on that walk that we had planned. That is if you not to sore to go Shan.”





“The soreness has gone thank you, where do you plan to go?” She was sitting down to have some cottage cheese and fruit, if they were planning an outing than breakfast was a must. She could keep up with them for the most part, but she still got tired where they did not.





“We thought a walk up to Wonder Lake, it is always beautiful this time of year.” Smiles Carmen. “All the flowers will be blooming, not to mention all the wild life we should see.”





“Sounds nice, but Eleazar, you think maybe you might be able to keep from snacking on the way, grins Shan. "I mean it would be nice to actually see the wild life running about, and I don't be meaning with you chasing them neither. “





“I will try and refrain myself for you, my daughter. Be sure to bring you snacks though, some of us don’t believe in depriving our loved ones from nourishment.” Winks Eleazar who could not help but start laughing, though she was as stubborn as a mule, he had found it easy to love Shan, no that was not it, he found it impossible not to love her. For all of their fighting and disagreements which were abundant, he had found an emptiness that he did not even know existed had been filled. He knew why his old friend had laid down his life for this young woman, though he was still unsure as to the details, but that was some of today’s topics. It was going to be a long day, hard day, because unless he missed his guess she was not going to do this the easy way. Why she just didn't talk he couldn't understand. Keeping it all inside of her was tearing her apart, the not sleeping was proof of that, but hopefully Carlisle would be of some help there, they would be coming soon. Another reason she was going to have to talk, he had to know what he was getting his friends into before they arrived, before they told the Cullen's of their newest member.





“Ha ha! Funny!” Smiles Shan stuffing some jerky, cheese and fruit into varies pockets of her duster, “what is with all of the new arrivals in town any ways? Do they always coming during the spring? “





“Yes, every spring Denali has a big festival, this year seems to be an even bigger turn out than normal, which is one of the things we wanted to speak with you about, are you ready to go?” Replied Carmen





“What about?” asks Shan heading out the door.





“Our have extended family will be arriving in a few days to attend the festival.”





“O,” softly replies Shan, “they will stay at the house, than?”





“Yes, which is why there is some things that we need to discuss, we need to know more about you Shanndalynn.”





Such as?





“Where are you from, you never speak of any family or home”, Carmen almost sang the words,





“There be nothing to tell”, her thick Irish slur giving away her already uneasiness.





“Shanndalynn, this is important, you need to talk to us,” growls Eleazar already growing impatient with her. “We have a right to know, your past is now our past, it affects us too.” His words had softened due to a gentle but reminding touch from Carmen that he had promised to try and be patient today. “Look, I know it is hard for you, I've seen it in those pretty eyes of yours. But Shanndalynn you got to trust us...”





“You must trust me, you must trust them,” the words once again echoed in her ears, taking her back to that awful day, the memories flooded so quickly, so vividly that she was unaware of the time that had past, until Eleazar gently nudged her.





“Shanndalynn, are you ok?” Asks Carmen, "you look as if you seen a ghost."





“Sort of, some of me memories they are not always clear, but others, they are as if I be there all over again, I was remembering Zedekiah,” She had lowered her eyes, turned slightly, “they be painful memories.”





“Tell me what you were remembering,” Eleazar could be so comforting when he wanted to be,” I know they bring with them pain, but sometimes talking is the best thing for the pain.”





“Zedekiah, he could have escaped any time, but he chose to stay, I've never understood that,” tears rolled gently down Shan's cheeks.





“No, he cared for you, if there was no way for him to have taken you with him than he would have stayed,” Eleazar gently placed his hand on Shanndalynn's shoulder.





“Don't touch me!" Pulling away, Shan just looked at him, than lowered her eyes, “sorry, I just don't liked to be touched.”





“Ok, tell me of this place that held you and Zed, why were the two of you there,” he had moved closer to Carmen putting more distance between him and Shan so as to avoid any other contact.





“He sent Derrick out searching for cold bloods, but after Zedekiah found out what they wanted he refused. They could not let him go for fear that he would come back and stop them.” Shan was walking again though she did not really know where she was going.





“Who is “he” and who was Derrick,” Carmen was holding Eleazar's hand, as they walked





“Ramsay was his name, and Derrick was his hired scum,” scoffed Shan





“Keeping Zed meant they had a fight on their hands,” comments Eleazar,





“That was just it though he did not fight, he walked into the cell smiling,” Shan had stopped and was looking at him, “I remember he was whistling.”





Laughing Eleazar squeezes Carmen's hand, “he always whistled when he was thinking,”





“He did not like the quite,” walking again Shan had once again begun to have tears roll down her cheeks as she became lost in memories. “He was always talking, telling stories, whistling, always something,”





“You loved him vary much that is obvious,” Carmen's voice was that soft singing she remembered hearing that first day, “I am sorry his memories bring you such pain, give it time, it will get better.”





“Love? I think that he did become a father to me, but..” her words trailed off at the sounds of voices and vehicles.





“Looks as if the Carney has arrived,” points Eleazar to the road beyond lined with a huge caravan.





“Wow that is a lot of trucks, this is really a big thing huh,” Shan was grateful for the interruption, but still the memories seemed to want to linger. “Tell me of the people that will be coming, you said they were part of the family?”





“The Cullen, they live in Forks Washington at the moment, at one time we all lived here. But we drew too much attention so they decided to move on,” began Carmen. “The newest members are Bella who married Edward and their daughter Nessi. “





“Daughter? I thought that cold bloods could not bare children?” They had turned and was now walking across a flower covered rolling hill that lead to Wonder Lake. It was filled with brightly colored butterflies, busy bees, and birds of ever shape and size.





“Female cold bloods can't but they were married while Bella was still warm blooded,” explains Carmen





“So than male cold bloods can have wee ones? I did not know that. That would make Nessi a mixed blood than, what is she like?”





“She grows faster than most, they say that she will be grown in six years, she can eat but prefers to hunt like us, and as far as I know she still does not speak much. Nessi prefers to touch you and let you see what she is thinking instead.” Carmen had stopped, the wind carried on it the sent of bear.





“I smell it too, but we are not allowed to snack,” teases Eleazar who was looking toward the tall pine trees that made up the woods just beyond the lake.





“Yea, like you would with so many around any ways,” rolling her eyes, though she could not smell the bears she could hear the cubs playing. “You were right Carmen it is pretty here.”





“This is for you,” Eleazar had handed Shan a phone, “It has been brought to my attention that your disappearances seem to be your way of dealing with things. So this is the deal, as long as you answer, you can go where ever, when ever you please. But you HAVE to ANSWER.”





“I can do that. I need to go to anchorage to pick up a vehicle.”





“I know someone here that has a car they want to sell, you are, planning on staying here,” slowly questions Eleazar looking to Carmen, remembering her telling him if he kept on pushing Shan the way he was she was going to run for good.





“O that is ok, I just need to pick me truck up, I had it u mm tweaked a bit, and yes I plan on staying here.” Shan had looked at Eleazar's eyes because of his tone,” they seemed sad and worried, "I do not wish to leave, I go only if you tell me to.”





“Good,” his eyes still held worry and his voice still cautious





“Well you are in need of more clothes and I would love to get some new things, if you can wait a few days than we can make it a girls shopping trip,” smiles Carmen





“Shopping! What did I do?” A horrified expression crossed Shan's face at the thought of an all day shopping trip. “I just want me truck.”





“O it is not that bad, you’re the only girl I know that hates to shop,” laughs Carmen, “it will be fun, plus it will give you a chance to get to know the girls better. Alice just loves to shop.”





“Who is Alice?”





“Lets see you have Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Edward, Bella, and Nessi, and then Rose and Emmet,” smiles Carmen





“Wow I did not release there was so many of them. All of us girls are going shopping?” suddenly realizing just how big of a shopping trip this was going to be.





“Well you ladies have fun, as for us guys we will be here just kicking back,” teases Eleazar





“Your mean, you know that right,” still thinking about a long day of shopping with not just three but eight girls, it was going to be a very long day indeed , “you guys could always come as well you know”





“True you could use some new shirts” teases Carmen





“Well than I am sure you will bring me back what I need, besides the boys are going to be busy registering for the games” Eleazar lend over placing a kiss on Carmen’s smiling face.





“So than they will be here day after tomorrow?” questions Shan





“We are expecting them any day now. Why?” asks Carmen





“I was to pick up me truck tomorrow” Shan was sitting on a log chewing on a piece of jerky, while watching some moose watering down at the lake





“I will call Esme later tonight and find out when they will be here. How long do you have to pick it up?”





“I can wait a few days if I must” sighed Shan





"You are not getting out of the shopping trip, so you must, " laughs Carmen





"Why so serious all of a sudden?" Shan had noticed that Eleazar was staring at her





“I need to know” began Eleazar, “ do you have anyone looking for you?”





“No, why do you ask” Shan had turned to look at him





Squatting down in front of Shan, Eleazar looked at her hazel eyes speaking slow and gentle, “I am assuming that this Ramsey didn’t let you go. Which means you and Zed fought your way out. I am guessing that is how he died”





Shan’s eyes dropped, “Zedekiah died two weeks before I broke free. But no one seeks me, they are dead as well”





“You’re sure of this?” still stooped in front of her watching as she shifted on the log, “Shanndalynn many lives depend on this, if you’re in danger we all are”





She lifted her hate filled eyes to meet his again, “ I be sure I killed them, than I destroyed that dreadful place, no one else will ever go though what he put me though” her jaws went tight as the anger filled her. “It ended with me”





“What did he put you through?” Eleazar want to reach out to touch her arm, to comfort her in some way, she was trembling so, but he knew he could not





“Hell” she growled standing up eyes burning with hate, anger, and tears, “he put me though hell over n over again, with no mercy, no feeling, I was nothing more than his lab rate”





Eleazar instinctively grab her so that she could not run, which is all it took. Shan twisted her arm out of his grip, turn and round house kicked him, knocking him off his feet and ran. He was up and running after her before Carmen could stop him.





“And it was going so well too” throwing her hands up in the air, “Let her go, she will come back when she is ready” Eleazar just kept running, They just never listen, guess I will go on home..





Shan had headed into the woods where the bears had been playing, I can use their scent to distract him that should give me the time I need. She could not out run him, but she could lose him if given just a little time.





“Shanndalynn!” Shouted Eleazar





She turned to see how close he was, but instead found the biggest bear she had ever seen running toward her bearing big ugly yellow teeth. Shan made a skidding holt, rounding a huge pine tree. “Eleazar!” The bear stopped and stood up on her hind legs, growling and snarling at Shan, peeking around the tree.





Eleazar quickened his pace at the sound of her scream and the sight of the bear, “stay there you’re between her and her cubs,” he was racing toward them when the bear was knocked off her feet and sent rolling head over heels.





Shan stood wide eyed watching not sure where the bear began and the big dude ended. As Eleazar reached her he was laughing, “What is so funny, and who be that”





“That is Emmet, He is Carlisle and Esmes’ boy”





“What did Carlisle do, bite a mountain?” Shan watched as this huge braod shoulder, dark haired power house handled a full grown bear as if she was nothing more than a stuffed toy.





“Emmet there are to many around today let her go back to her cubs” Eleazar was laughing even harder now, “come here I wish to introduce you to someone”





“I really do not understand what you find so funny,” scolds Shan





“Maybe this will teach you to think instead of running,” Now Eleazar was very serious, “you could have gotten hurt”





“I know” She was looking in his eyes, they were not angry, or cold like most cold bloods were, but golden, and caring. “I am sorry, I panicked when you touched me. I don’t like to be touched”





“I didn’t mean to touch you, it was instinct to get you to stay”





“But I was not going any where, just was angry” explains Shan.





“I was having fun, why did you make me let her go? Hey I am Emmet” reaching out his hand to shake Shan's.





“ Hay!” Shan sheepishly gave a little quick waved than placed her hands in her back pockets “u mm, I be Shan. Thanks for the bear by the way”





“Always a pleaser to save a beautiful lady,” winking and giving his most devilish grin, while leaning against the tree she had been hiding behind





“If you’re done flirting with my daughter, perhaps we should head back to the house,” interrupted Eleazar while eyeing Emmet





“Daughter?” Says Emmet as he straightens looking from Shan to Eleazar in confusion.





“Yes, daughter. We did not expect you for a few more days, I hope your trip went well. The girls will be surprised when they return tomorrow from their hunting trip” Eleazar had begun making his way back to the house, “come on Shanndalynn, you too”