The Wayfarer Way Station

Day two of the party's search bore fruit in the metallic 1/3 of a box kind. The party stared at it for a while, finally deciding to steal it later that night. Rhyme, Chezza, Dakota, and Corbin stayed in the museum, while everyone else wandered back to the Fey village to get a portal open for them.
Sage and Aron sat, waiting for the others to arrive. "What are you goin' to to when we get back? When all this is over?" Sage asked.
"What do you mean?" Aron was confused.
"What are you goin' to do about Nokomis? I've seen the way you look at her and she at you."
Aron ducked his head, "I don't know."
"She isn't made for pack life. Not only is she human, but she is determined to go back to school to become a doctor."
"I know..."
"We are a nomadic pack, when we leave we may never see her again or it could be years."
"I know." Aron replied tightly.
"I don't mean to be cruel Aron, but you have to decide if pack life is more important than your feelings for Nokomis or vise versa."
"How can you tell?"
"Only you know if she is your mate or not."
"How can she be? She isn't a wolf shifter."
"Mates are a unique thin', they tend to transcend the norm."
"Is Chezza yours?"
Sage chuckled sadly, "No, my mate died lon' ago."
Aron looked at Sage surprised, "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. It was unavoidable."
"How did you know she was your mate?"
"I asked myself if I could live without her."
"What if she doesn't feel the same?"
"It's a risk you've got to take or you'll regret it." The two men fell into a thoughtful silence. It wasn't broken until the four returned from the museum.

"Ready?" Chezza asked as the PA announced closing.
"We are so going to get in trouble by the Mane and Nox." Dakota sighed before grinning, "Let's do this."
"Rhyme." Chezza motioned to the glass case the box was being held in. Rhyme whistled a high frequency tune and within seconds the case shatter. "Go!" Chezza yelled as she snatched the box and the group ran. Security guards started yelling, but the Fey paid no attention. Right as they were about to close in on their exit, four security guards blocked it. "Fuck! Window." Chezza made a sharp turn and flipped through the closest window; on the second floor. All four of the Fey gracefully landed outside and started off again. Chezza passed the piece off to Rhyme as she took out three policemen and parted the sea of humans. Rhyme looked behind them to see a few police following, but still a few yards off. He looked forward when he crashed into some, dropping the box piece a few feet from himself.
"Sorry, wasn't looking where I- Oh hi." The student from before grinned.
Fuck. Rhyme thought. "Hi, sorry but I need to get going."
"Let me-" The boy looked at Rhyme with wide eyes. "This is from the museum."
"Yes, now hand it over."
"But."
"Sorry." Rhyme sang to the student, causing him to pitch forward asleep. Rhyme easily caught him, picked the box from the young man's hand and ran off.
"Where'd you go?" Corbin asked as Rhyme finally caught up.
"I ran into the kid." He replied easily.
"Really Rhyme? He's a fucking human."
"No Corbin," Rhyme rolled his eyes, "I literally ran into him. Had to put him to sleep because he saw the box."
"If you two are done your bickering, we're almost to the village." Chezza informed. The four made it just as the portal was created. The party gave a quick thanks as they jumped through and landed once again in Greenland. "How far from the cave are we?"
"About two days. We managed to find a mage who could open a portal without a need for another on the other side. It cost us a lot though." Sage informed over the roaring winds.
"That's fine as long as we're here. Let's go before we freeze." The party started once more in the freezing weather. The pack shifted into their wolf forms while everyone else pulled their enchanted cloaks closer. Two and a half days later they managed to make it back to the cave in one piece. They carefully maneuvered through the passageways and avoided most traps.
It was pretty easy going until they arrived in the large room. Ten Fey stood in it yelling and threatening Pandora. Orthrus barked at the intruders, announcing the party's presence. A fight broke out between the two large groups. Rhyme and Corbin were put in charge of retrieving the box pieces from Pandora and restore it back on the pedestal. Pandora, wounded from protecting the box pieces, handed them to Rhyme who locked the last piece into place. Together, Rhyme and Corbin tried to fight through the fray and set time right.
Aron tried his best to fight, finding it difficult as the sounds of fighting bounced of the walls, throwing his sense of hearing of. He just managed to throw an enemy off his back when he heard some yell, "Aron, duck!" He did as he was told and heard a gargled gasp before a thud next to him. He turned his blind eyes to the noise and sniffed the air. Within seconds he was next to the alter, cautiously crossing over the barrier that no longer existed. "Hey Aron." He heard Nokomis smile.
"Hey Nokomis. You okay?" He kept an ear listening to the noise around them as he placed a hand on her cheek.
"Better. Weak, but better." Aron helped her to stand and she clung to him; legs still weak from disuse. "I have been waiting, I knew you would come."
"You'll have to tell me all about it after this."
"Agreed." He felt her freeze next to him and heard her whisper, "Rhyme!"
"What happened?" He asked as a shot of adrenaline surged through him. Nokomis didn't answer, instead broke from his arms and started running. Aron shifted and followed closely beside her, snapping at any enemy that came too close.
Nokomis bit her lip as she ran. Should she check on Rhyme or go for the box? When she saw someone she didn't recognize go for Pandora's Box, she called, "Aron, 12 o'clock." The white wolf lunged forward and pounced on the enemy. Nokomis snatched the box up and ran for the pedestal. Someone grabbed the hem of her cloak and choked her. She managed to break free and dropped the box in place. The dark metallic box glowed and then emitted a pulse of energy, toppling everyone to the floor unconscious.
Nokomis felt a hand on her head and someone gently calling to her. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes to see Sage bent over her. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Slightly nauseous, but I am not sure if that is because of the Box or from running after being the Box." She replied with her hand over her eyes.
"Aron, stay with her while I check everyone else." She felt Sage leave and Aron take his place.
"Mind helping me sit up?" She asked, the floor causing a small chill to spread through her body. He gently wrapped his arms around her and propped her against his chest.
"Still feel nauseous?" He asked, noticing her eyes still closed.
"Yeah. Less now, but still there."
"Here." He handed her a water skin. She gladly took it and sipped at it as he rubbed her back.
"Thank you. How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Have a bit of a bump on my head, but nothing serious."
"I take it we won."
"I guess you could say that. Most of our group woke first and tied the other Fey up. They're the ones from before and were threatening Pandora to give them the box so they could have power."
"How is she?"
"She's going to live."
"I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad. You are warm." Nokomis commented as she cuddled closer.
"I'm a wolf, we run warm. Where's your cloak?"
"Lost it when I was putting the box back." Aron's arms tightened as he pulled her closer to his body heat. "My head hurts."
"You have a small fever. I'd let you go to sleep, but I'm not sure it's safe yet."
Nokomis nodded, but kept her eyes shut. "How is everyone else?"
Aron hesitated as he replied, "Dakota's doing his best to heal but there are many of us badly wounded." Nokomis's already sensitive stomach dropped.
"Some of us are dead." She stated.
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Noko-"
"Who?"
"From the pack: Travis, Milly, Angus, Ben, and Kit. From the leap: Tally, Kevin, and Mike. Chezza and Corbin have serious wounds and Rhyme didn't survive the last attack when he was running to the pedestal."
Tears slid down her face as she asked, "And of the other side?"
"Half of them are still alive."
"What do we do from here?"
"We give those who have died a proper burial and take the dumb asses to either the Mane or Nox. At the very least we'll wipe their memories of this place so they can't return." Nokomis nodded and was quiet for the rest of the day.