“All done.” Ena finally handed a pendant to Snow.

“Whenever you feel like you can’t handle a situation, just hold tightly onto it and think really hard on this one phrase ‘Sa Fe Ra Sen’.” Ena slowly said each syllable.

“Usually these kind of charms only work with sound so getting it to work for…” Ena hesitated; it was something that they tried to avoid mentioning – that Snow was a mute. In the beginning it had bothered her to think she would never be able to communicate with them and that she was an even greater burden not being able to talk… But then again even Ena had to admit that recently her Missy was very ‘cheerful’ these days.

“Thankfully… this fella here quite fancies our Missy.” She gestured to empty space, and out of thin air a wisp of ‘light’ flickered and vanished.

“Wow… That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a sprite!” Millie squealed in excitement.

“Actually he’s not a sprite, but an Echo. He’s always been following me around, giving my voice even more ‘strength’. He helped me with the charm. But because of its ‘flaw’ to allow her to use it, it’ll only last a while, so I placed a second charm on it. This ruby stone here; when it starts fading to white that’s when it needs to be replaced as the flower starts to wilt.

“I thought Witches’ flowers never wilt?”

“They do when they lose their own magic and can’t replenish it. For Charms that uses the Witches’ flowers, it is sealed in a specially created space that constantly provides the flowers with magic to feed off of instead of its own magic. I couldn’t place the flower into such a perfect sealed off space, instead I had to create a fixed crack in it to allow the flower’s essence to leak out once the it reacts to the spell this crack prevents the sealed space to ‘feed’ magic back into the flower causing it to wilt as the flower’s essence loses its magic, but I had to make sure tha crack doesn’t spill everything out which was real difficult part but I got it to work so it doesn’t leak out the magic unnecessarily.” Ena explained.

“And don’t worry, making a new one, or fixing this one is now piece of cake now that I know how to make it!” Ena reassured when it looked like ‘Snow’ was about to feel guilt at that she’d only make Ena do more ‘work’ for her sake.

The Echo blinked into existence again and brushed up against the charm in Snow’s hand half asking her to try hang it around her neck and try it out.

Hanging it around her neck she tightly clasped it in-between her hands after Ena gestured for her to try as well.

(‘Sa Fe Ra Sen’) She said once, hoping it ‘worked’ and before she could say the words a second time she smelled the sweet smell, minty and fresh. The scent ‘cooled’ her… her head felt ‘light’ and ‘airy’, free of any ‘noise’, as though she was ‘drifting’ to sleep… And then her senses came back and she felt calm with how close Millie was standing to her, having inched closer after Ena nudged for her to try it.

“It works?” She asks, slowly Snow nodded letting them now she was ‘fine’.

“Want to go try it out?” Again she nodded and followed her friends out the door.

They walked her straight to the Coven’s center, yet another area she avoided due to too many people always there, but today, so early in the morning it was still quiet with only a few people outside talking while working, Snow was about to start back-stepping to get away when Nate reminded her about the charm, she quickly clung to it and then when she opened her eyes she felt calmer, but still she didn’t like the crowd that had just noticed her presence waving her over.

“Sorry, Emelia, she’s still trying to get out of her shell.” Nate called out, reassuring them when Snow shook her head.

“It’s okay, just glad to see she aint panicking and making a run for it this time around? I’m assuming Ena finally got that Charm to work?” Emelia smiled, she was the Elder’s apprentice and would take over as Elder someday.

“Yes, the charm works like a charm!” He teased, causing the man beside her who had tried not mind his own, not paying them too much attention, to snicker a laugh, even the other woman that was hanging out with Emelia was smiling at the remark.

Bidding them a good day once they noticed that Snow had enough of trying out her Charm. They headed into the forest and finding there ‘secret’ spot they sat and watched as the sun perfectly set the trees on fire, reaching the top of the trees and its light pouring through patches in the tree canopies.

“I love this, I’d never get tired of seeing this sight!” Millie whispered after the ‘magic’ had faded, breaking their silence.

“How did you all find this spot?”

“Believe it or not, we never noticed it not until Snow on one of our walks stopped to look up, bathing in the light that was streaming through.” Nate recalled, it was one of the paths he and Will often took on their way to clearing where they sparred, and since Snow started going with them they took her everywhere with them, even to their personal training sessions, choosing to spend as much time with her as they could and involve her in everything they did.

“That day she was more like a Fae than Wolf, Witch or Human, beautiful and untouchable; she looked so far away, like she would just disappear into the Void at any second.” Will’s words made her blush and at the same time, one thought clawed at her…

“Come on, we shouldn’t be wasting daylight, me and Will need to train for next week’s Hunting Selection.” Nate rushed them along.

The Hunting Selection was a ‘dueling’ tournament where participants fought for the chance to be chosen to join the biggest hunt with several other participating Norther Packs. In the past it was a means to secure resources before the winter, but now it was a means to build a stronger relationship with other Packs, choosing the middle of winter so as to avoid drawing attention to them from normal ‘humans’, fewer people choosing to travel in the coldest and harshest cold weather of the year.

As future ‘leaders’ of the Northern Mountain Pack they were obligated to participate, it didn’t mean they would be chosen, even if they came in first, other qualities in the duels are also taken into account and the more chances you got to ‘fight’ the better chance to ‘impress’ to get that chance to join the hunt.

The only problem was that for a whole two weeks they wouldn’t be able to see Snow anymore, but she had reassured them that it was fine, once she learned of the importance of getting chosen for the Hunt, it was a ‘status’ and as future Alpha and Gamma getting that ‘status’ as young as possible would be worth a lot of worth and respect amongst the other Packs.

At first when she saw Will and Nate ‘sparring’, their ‘violence’ was a terror to witness, they had never seen her so scared not even when around strangers did she get so scared, it was just a panic attack… it was something much more… feral…

But once they had reassured her that they were only sparing, once she realized they didn’t actually ‘hurt’ each other, she started easing into watching them. Slowly she started to recognize when their sparing started to get more ‘serious’ compared to it merely being ‘training’ and as soon as she did, instinctively they would stop sensing her worries. They had become very tuned into her state of mind, one look and they could tell when she was starting to trap herself in her own mind with negative thoughts.

But now that Millie was part of the ‘group’ she didn’t have to watch them anymore, still liking the fact that they were ‘fighting’, instead she was teaching and practicing sign language with Millie.

Suddenly made aware of the fact that she had actually gotten used to Millie being around her faster than she had with Will and Nate; She halted mid-sentence with something she was telling Millie, the sound of Nate and Will growling, transformed in their wolf forms, their clothes hanging over a branch in the distance.

“Snow, are you alright?” Millie asked, a light-bulb going off in Snow’s mind – a ‘ah yes’ moment.

(“I want to try to be your Muse and Model.”) Snow informed Millie, signing slowly so that Millie could read what she was signing.

“Really?” Her eyes sparked with joy and wonder like a child on Christmas day that can’t wait to see what presents Santa brought her. Nodding in affirmation.

“Yes!” Millie shouted drawing Nate’s attention to them and away from Will who wasn’t so easily distracted, taking the advantage as he pinned Nate down.

(“I win!”) Will’s dark brown wolf ‘smirked’. Their mind connected to hear the other.

(“Not fair I thought something happened to Snow!”)

(“You forget Millie is with her.”)

(“Still…”) Will dragged a paw through the snow, and placed his paw threateningly beside Nate’s head.

(“I win, you got distracted, don’t try to make excuses!”)

(“Fine…”) Nate growled. Heading behind the threes they transformed and got dressed, once in hear shot from the girls, Millie rushed towards them as soon she heard them approaching, all just to tell them the news.

(“Also, I’ve decided on my name… sort of…”) Snow signed when they finally was standing around her… shocked…

...

Back at 'home' with Ena, Blaze and even the Luna there to come find her son, Nate proudly announce to them the good news.

"Missy Rue O'Connell. That's the name she chose." Nate told them, right off the bat and straight to the point.

"You finally decided on a name?" Ena asked excited and yet you could tell she was slightly disappointed, Blaze drew circles on her back, knowing what she was thinking and feeling.

"I chose my name Missy for Ena, who is like a mother to me, and I don't want that to ever change!" Will translated, surprising everyone that she knew sign language at the same time, Blaze half regretful that he didn't think of it first. No one interrupted at their surprise that 'Missy' was had found a way to 'talk'.

"I chose Rue for my friends, the only friends I'll ever need or want. Nate told me Rue means 'snow' in the language of Witches and Warlocks."

"Actually it means winter, but it has a better sound than 'snow' which is 'hem'." Ena grinned, all her disappointment washed away as she came to understand the reasoning behind the name her Missy chose.

"It does sound better, I like it, I just didn't think 'snow' would be a good name and should stay as a nickname." Missy smiled, but she suddenly became serious, not sure if she should continue, too scared of being rejected...

"Luna Silva, is it alright if I really become a part of the Pack? I don't want to cause any trouble for anyone when I'm not even a werewolf myself. I don't know if I'll ever be able to call any other place 'home' the way I do this house that Ena and Blaze welcomed me into, and even if I'm still scared of the Alpha himself, I understand that he is partially the reason I'm able to have come to live here, is it okay to take on the name O'Connell for myself?"

"Dear, sweet child... We've only been waiting for you! And we'll keep waiting for you until you are ready to call our Pack your family. You must forgive Faust, he doesn't know how to switch off his 'Alpha' role and switch 'on' his fatherly role, Nate can attest to it, but I can tell you with full certainty, he already loves you like a real daughter, he has since the first moment he laid eyes on you!"

The Luna's words came as a surprise, Missy was sure that someone would object, that someone would disapprove her becoming part of the Pack's hierarchy...

"And I can finally call you my sister! Now I have all the reason to be overly protective of you!" Nate cheered, bringing tears to her eyes, she was overjoyed to know just how much they cared for her without any expectations, and she wondered if she could ever show them what they meant to her... how much she was willing to try... to do... to give... to protect them, her friends and 'family'.

The Luna stepped closer, and with open arms to invited Missy into a hug, noticing her tears. Ena nudged Blaze in the side, with grin that couldn't hide her joy... Even though Missy officially agreed to become the Alpha and Luna's 'daughter' she was the girl's 'mother'.