Welcome to Ithildin

[GoddessofHope]

In a world so undeniably ugly, Asena felt like she won the lottery as she walked the perimeter of the world she helped create. The orange and red canopy of the tall trees made it feel like she was in a dream; the sun peeking through here and there, making the leaves glow as if they were on fire.

With the help of Jo’s elvish rituals, the property had a sense of safety which helped our guests truly relax, but unfortunately for Asena, her job here was to keep the property safe, so she wasn’t able to be blissfully unaware of her troubles, and boy, were there troubles.

Not in the simple sense of course. Having such a magical property in a time of war was a gift most people would kill for…And they have tried, again, and again. That’s why her position her is so important. It seems that every week, with the growing battles, their little slice of heaven is threatened by any creature who is willing to fight to take it. Therefore Asena takes any quiet, beautiful moment she can, and thankfully this morning was a beautiful one.

[Demona]

With a groan Willow threw the golden cup with frustration out of her circle. She had been trying to secure the B&B with her magic but every week it seemed there was a blindspot somewhere in her barrier that needed fixing. Something she never faced before, leading to her bad moods.

She was a powerfull witch in her coven, won every battle and every contest. She mastered the five elements, something rare among the new witches.
Willow had to leave when her parents were trying to force her into a loveless marriage. All they cared about was power, and being married to the coven's leader's son was the highest they could get. They were so happy when they learned he showed interest in Willow.
Unfortunately, Willow was a hopeless romantic dreaming of finding the man of her dreams even though it was so hard nowadays with every pack and every coven fighting for land.
Las week they had a visit from a vampire, thankfully Jo was able to make him see things helping Asena getting rid of him. Willow wasn't there during the attack, she was again trying to fortify their wall.
"Someday I'll get it right, I just hope it won't be too late."

[GoddessofHope]

Asena followed the perimeter until she came upon Willows sacred circle, one of the most vulnerable spots on the property line.

“Any luck today?” She asked as she approached her; the golden cup seemed to be an obvious sign of failure but she hoped for even the slightest amount of success.

[Demona]

Willow was startled by Asena's sleek movement. She was so gracious that she hadn't even felt her presence.
"I'm not sure, everytime I close up a blindspot there seems to be new one somewhere else. I've been up since dawn trying to work it up. I have a bad feeling about this Asena. I've never failed at this before no matter how large the property is." She broke her circle with her foot so Asena could join her.
"I think someone is tampering with magic, drawing it from the soil. Have you encountered a foreign scent?"

[GoddessofHope]

Asena tapped her fingertips against her legs with pursed lips, “No…” she said in defeat.

Joining her in the circle, she felt even more defeated with Willows energy surrounding her, “How the hell are we going to keep this place..” she whispered more to herself than to Will.

She considered contacting her brother, Atlas, but as the packs healer she couldn’t seem to bother him, he seemed to always be in his surgery; closing battle wounds of those in battle.

“I’d like to see us succeed, this is the most beautiful place on earth..” she whispered, folding her arms over her chest, “You have any Wiccan friends who could assist you in your rituals?” She asked with hope.

[Demona]

"Well, as you said, it is the most beutiful place on earth right now, with Jo's energy everyone wants it. I know people bit I'm afraid they'd want to take it away from us."

She sighed playing with her fingers "are you sure you didn't pick up any new scents though? I swear I felt a presence while doing my ritual and that's why I lost my focus. It was so strange, I felt someone was standing behind me but when I turned they were gone." She got up and looked around "have you noticed the rabbits have been hiding? I don't think there's something wrong with my powers, I think there's something wrong with magic in general."

[GoddessofHope]

“Jesus Christ Will don’t say that shit.” She said, following after her..

“Something wrong with magic in general is not something I want to bite off right now. Your magical abilities are helping us stand steady. If we lose them..” she trailed off into the thought.

“No…” she said, staring off into the forest, “I couldn’t sense anything different., but I’ll take another patrol, just to be sure..”

[Demona]

"Look I don't want to scare you but this is really and absolutely the first time this happens to me." She walked out of the circle "I'll try and shift into my eagle and help you with patrol but I can't promise, I've been trying for the past week but couldn't summon it."
Willow looked at the running water of the river and took off her sandals, feeling the coldness of the dirt and grass. She walked to the river and dipped her feet chanting a spell trying to summon the eagle. Usually she didn't need to do that, she had mastered the skill to shapehift in a few animals but lately it had been so hard.
"Damn it!" She looked at her friend "I'm sorry I can't."

[GoddessofHope]

Asena closed her eyes with a sigh, “Don’t be sorry.. we’ll.. figure this out. We have to.” She said with a confident nod as she opened her eyes back up. “Has Jo said anything about feeling magically… weak?” She searched for the word. She couldn’t understand the magical world if she tried. She understood the physical world, but nothing of the spirit . Everything a wolf feels for the first 30 years was just physical. Physical pain. Physical change. It isn’t until you’ve become wiser will you understand the spirit world as a wolf. You must feel before you can see, they say.

“Maybe I can see if my brother knows of any changes…” she wondered out loud. Atlas hadn’t been here in years; only met Jo and Will a handful of times. She found it odd, how distant they grew when she left the pack. She thought their relationship could withstand anything.

[Demona]

"I'm not gonna lie I am worried. I just hope I'm wrong and it's just me... but you need to relax too, I can sense your wolf going crazy inside." Willow smiled and splashed her with water.
"Jo is fine so far but it's not the same, she's an fairy she draws her power directly from the underground. Thankfully she's not experiencing the same failures as me".
With a shrug, Willow pit back her shoes on and started gathering her things.
"Atlas..." she let out a dreamy sigh as her heart skipped a beat "Are you really going to invite your hot brother here? i'm not sure he'll have time anyway. But you can try. I'll go find Ho and help her with the new guests, they'll be here soon. If I remember someone I can trust on my side I'll call them as well."

[GoddessofHope]

Asena hadn’t realized how itchy and restless her wolf had been, she thought she was just on edge from all the attacks lately.. “I’ll be there soon to help, I’m going to run the perimeter one more time.. “ she said as she started to walk away, “and please stop calling my brother dreamy for Christ sakes!” She yelled over her shoulder as she jogged off.

Jo was in the B&B, in the plant room she loved so dearly, “Don’t worry little ones, all will be well soon..” she whispered to them as she gave them a drink. Her connection to the earth was still as strong as ever, thankfully the evil in the world couldn’t touch her powers. She could drown in silent bliss if she needed to; the earth silencing all the noise around her, as if she had jumped into the ocean to listen to her heartbeat.

[Demona]

Willow smiled looking at her friend run in the distance. If only they could get back to how it was, no worries and only peace. "It's not my fault he's dreamy!" She shouted back knowing that even at this distance Asena would be able to hear her.
She made her way to the B&B while listening to the nature, listening in trying to see if there was really an intruder or it was her own imagination playing tricks on her.

"Jo? You in there?" She called out a few times standing in front of the reception desk. Met with no answer or no sign of life Willow sighed and muttered "she's out back again!" She went to the plant room "the new guests will be here soon! You need to come out." Nothing, it was like Jo was in another world "God I wish I could do that." She scanned the room and found a graden glove, with a devilish smile she made it fly fast right to Jo's head "you need to come back to earth!"

[GoddessofHope]

Startled to her core she jumped back, grabbing at her heart as she gasped, “Must you?!” She said before she let out a soft chuckle, “Sorry, I was.. entranced.. “ she smirked, “I know I said I would be more aware of the present…” she began rubbing her palm, “it’s just so boring” she chuckled and then realized what time it was, “oh god.. have the guests arrived?!”

[Demona]

"You know, I've been wishing we could be as carefree as before and hear you and Asena laugh again." Will smiled and shook her head "they'll be here any minute, comr on let's get ready. I think I'm going to call my cousin Hardin, come and help me with the barrier, you know Hardin, what fo you thibk? Is he trustworthy?"

[GoddessofHope]

Jo frowned a little at the thought, had she truly not laughed with her best friends in that long?

“Hardin… he’s always had a calming but strong vibe about him. I don’t see why he would betray us… or you for that matter.” She thought on the topic for a moment as she walked to the front desk, “Hardin…” she whispered to herself and watched as the guests pulled up, “The real question is, what would happen if you don’t call him?” She asked Will with concern.

Asena came jogging up the drive, slowing down to greet the guests as they climbed out of their car, “Hello there” she smiled as she took the eldest woman’s bags. They already seemed at peace. That brought her joy.. and a little jolt of envy.

[Demona]

"Have you seen our piece of land? So far we've had to chase vamps and werewolves away because they wanted it! I'm just worried he'll get greedy and would want to stay or take it."
"I'm really lost Jo, I'm not sure if there's something wrong with me or magic is faltering. I've never failed a spell as simple as putting a barrier of protection around a piece of land no matter the size. So yes If we dob't call him we might get in trouble."
Willow opened the front door with a smile hiding all her worries "hello little one, hope you're not tired?" She asked the little girl who shook her head and ran inside.

[GoddessofHope]

Jo couldn’t believe the stress her friend was radiating, “we’ll talk it over tonight” she whispered to Willow before she greeted their guests, “Welcome to Ithildin” she said, the words came out of her mouth like silk; Her guests responding with a relaxed sigh.

Asena walks into the B&b and casually pulls Willow aside in the next room, “Well love, I couldn’t sense anything other than this general fuzziness in a certain area BUT there’s also a lot of wolfsbane over there so I need you to come with me and check it out..”

[Demona]

With nod she observed one of the new guests and pulled Asena into their office "there's a werewolf among them, they are trying to hide their scents but he couldn't keep his wolf at bay, why would they hide what they are?"

[GoddessofHope]

Asena looked over at their new guests with concern; How did she miss it? Will was right. How did she not sense it?

“I have no idea..” she whispered, “I didn’t even notice.. “ she shook her head, “There’s only one reason why he would hide his wolf…” she said, trying to prepare herself for what was about to happen, “They have never made it this far before…”

[Demona]

Willow ran a hand through her hair trying to make sense of it all "then it's decided. You call Atlas and I call Hardin, we can't do this on our own anymore." She let out a sigh "let's pretend we don't know, see what they want to do?"

[GoddessofHope]

Asena nodded and watched as Jo checked in their guests. She tried not to think about all the questionable events that have occurred, and everything that all led to this. Folding her arms over her chest she swore to herself, silently, that nothing on earth would take this place from her. She would die for it.

“I’ll give Atlas a call..” she said quietly, mentally taking note that it’s okay to need help. The strongest live in packs for a reason. There’s a strength in numbers.

Jo smiled politely as she radiated calming energy into the new guests; She had a feeling something was off, and with Asena and Will looking so tense, she figured it was going to be a long night.

Silently show showed the guests to their rooms before gracefully but quickly walking back to Asena and Willow.

“Alright you two what the hell is going on?” She whispered as she pulled them outside.

[Demona]

Looking out the window Willow chewed her lower lip nervously. She hasn't felt at ease in a while even woth Jo's calming aura she was on edge. Everytime a spell failed she would stress even more. She knew something was wrong but couldn't find out what. And now standing in silence next to her best friend she felt powerless.

When they started their B&B business life was still good, everyone was at peace and they swore to never let it go even if they fail. Now it felt like everythibg they worked for was for nothing.

Upon hearing Atlas name she relaxed a bit and nodded turning around tk face her friend. "I guess we need to now. We can't delay this anymore."

"I'm not sure if all our guests are wolves but... I could sense one of them trying to hide himself"

[GoddessofHope]

“Atlas will be here in a few hours..” Asena told the girls as she shoved her phone back in her pocket. Full of shame, Asena sat down on the nearest log in defeat, “I didn’t sense him…” she explained, “the wolf… I didn’t…” she shrugged, “I didn’t sense him in the slightest..” she shook her head, “what the hell is going on?! It’s literally in my blood to sense a wolf…” she stood up in frustration, “There has to be some dark magic going on here.. “ she said looking at her friends.

Jo frowned as she watched the strongest women she knew bow their heads in defeat, “ We will figure this out. With the guys coming, we’ll have even that much more power behind us.” She stepped closer to them now, “We are not weak.” She said firmly, “We still have power within us we haven’t even discovered. We built this place with intent. With love. It will not fail us.” She said confidently.

[Demona]

"Don't sweat it Asena, I was only able to sense it because he was using magic to hide himself. But all that isn't important as much as how many are they and what do they want?" Willow sighed relaxing herself in the chair. "We have to act as anormal and friendly as we can so we don't give ourselves away."

She threw the peace of paper in the slightly lit cheminee, they didn't really need it but she kept it lit to send fire messages when she needed to.

Seconds later she got a message flying out of the flames right into her palms. She opened it "Hardin will be here in a few moments, he just needs to pack and he'l come over using a portal."

[GoddessofHope]

“Atlas and Hardin…” Jo smirked, “Let’s be sure to stay focused…” she teased as she made her way over to the bay window. Jo was always the one who could keep everything together; including her desires. The tempting sexual arousal a man stirred up in her usually didn’t affect her day to day life.

Jo pulled the energy from the earth with her bare feet, it traveling through her body until it reached her fingertips, sending sparks out of hands; like static under a sheet. With a graceful motion she gently touched a wilting flower; her energy instantly perking it up. She smiled with satisfaction. “There you are..” she whispered.

Asena slumped into the chair next to Will, “I still find that weird as hell..” she whispered, motioning towards the fireplace as she watched Willow send messages like it was nothing through fire.

She glanced back and watched Jo work her magic with her plants and sighed, “you’re both fuckin weird.” She teased quietly as she kicked her feet up on the coffee table.

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