The Wayfarer Way Station

Nokomis pulled her cloak tighter around her as she walked through the streets of Livingston, Montana. She shivered as the cold air blew around her. She found a small diner to stop in and almost moaned at the warmth that greeted her.
"How may I help you dear?" A small pumped woman asked with a smile.
Nokomis returned the smile and replied, "I am actually here to ask for directions to Billings. I am a little lost and I believe I got turned about somehow."
"Sit down and I will help you in a moment, okay dear?"
"Thank you."
"Aren't you a proper one." The woman laughed happily and went to another table. Nokomis walked to a nearby table and waited patently, observing the other customers well aware that she was being watched. A moment later the woman returned. "Would you like anything to eat or drink dear?"
"I do not have the money at the moment and I must really be going." She looked up with an apologetic smile.
"How about a drink on the house to warm you up and then you can be off?"
Nokomis bit her lip. She was still feeling the chill in her bones, but she couldn't let the others wait too long. "May I have a black tea with some honey and cream to go?"
"Sure dear, I'll let it steep and I can help you with directions."
"Thank you." The woman smiled and disappeared behind the back. Nokomis looked outside to see the dark alleyway's shadows slightly moving back and forth. She felt bad for making Aron, whom still didn't like her, wait in a city with humans. She still wondered why a man such as him whom hates humans more than anything chose to be on the Shadow side. She would have pegged him as a Light side sort of man, but to each their own.
"Okay, we are here." The woman set a map down on the table and pointed to their city. "Billings is here. It's 100 miles straight shot." She continued to give her directions on what exits to take and a rough ETA. Nokomis smiled gratefully and hugged the woman when she went to leave with her cup of tea. She waved as she exited the diner and only turned into an alleyway when she knew she was out of sight.
"I have the directions, we are only about 100 miles from Billings." She informed Aron.
"What the hell took so long?" He grumbled as he set a rather fast pace back to the group. "Besides the fact that you decided to have a cup of tea with them."
"She was being friendly and offered me something to drink because it is cold out. Not everyone can walk around shirt and shoeless in this weather." She took a sip of her tea and felt the warmth spread throughout her body. "Then she gave me detailed directions to Billings, which would be useful if we were traveling by car."
"Which we aren't." He said forcefully.
"We are not, so do not fret. As she talked I was trying to calculate how to get there via backwoods. If we keep up the 15 miles a day, we should make it in about a week." She bit her lip. "Although I am unsure I will be able to keep that up if the weather stays like this." She whispered.
"Why?" Aron asked, surprising Nokomis.
"Ah," She looked down with a blush that went unnoticed since her cheeks were already red. "This weather is cold and making it hard for me to walk. Moving keeps me warm, but I am still getting cold easily."
"You should eat more and put more clothes on."
Nokomis couldn't help but chuckled, "Eating more will be hard since we need to find a supernatural town in order to buy food which we are running low on. Unless you wish to hunt for me." Aron growled at her. "As for the clothes, I am slowly adding more layers."
"Whatever. Just don't die, I don't need Sage pissed at me."
"I would not think of dying on you, Master Aron. Last thing we need is for Sage to be mad at you for something was was Not your fault." Aron rolled his eyes and sped up. Nokomis laughed and was about to pick up her pace when something caught her eye. "Wait." She didn't wait for the shapshifter to turn as she began to run towards a silver glowing object.
"Nokomis!" Aron yelled at her, but she paid no heed as she ran to the object. She huffed as she got closer to find the glowing coming from behind some rocks. She climbed the large boulders to find the light in a crack. She looked down and saw a blurred image. Before she could get a good look it, the object grew bright, blinding her and then it was gone. Confused, Nokomis reached down and felt something rough and papery. When she pulled it out, there was a tattered piece of paper with Нева on it.
She stuffed the paper in a pocket and climbed down. "That was queer."
"What the hell were you thinking?" Aron's eyes glowed.
"Finding out what that light was." She scowled, "It was unlike anything I have ever seen. I saw something in it before it grew too bright and left this behind." She pulled the paper out and handed it to him.
"What is it?"
"I do not know. It feels like paper, but it is in a language I do not know."
"Show it to Sage." He handed the paper back, disgusted with it. "Let's go before they think I killed you or something." Nokomis nodded and followed behind him. Twenty minutes later the pair was reunited with the group.
"We thought Aron had killed you." Chezza grinned as she sauntered over. Aron growled, but didn't say anything.
"No we are fine, got a little side tracked on the way here." Chezza raised a fine eyebrow. "I found this." Nokomis pulled out the paper.
Chezza took it and inspected it, "It smells like a newspaper, but I can't read it. Sage, can you?"
She passed the piece to the Alpha, "No, but it looks old. Where did you find it?"
"About twenty minutes from here. I saw a silvery light and went to investigate, then the light disappeared and left that behind."
"Interestin'. We'll think more on it later, but right now what did you find out?"
"We are roughly 100 miles from Billings and it is mostly west of us but not completely. We will have to go a slight northwest direction to find it."
"Okay, let's head out. We should make it in about a week's time. Let's go." The group packed up and started the grueling journey to Billings. Nokomis once again pulled her cloak tighter and flicked her hood on, the tea's affect finally wearing off. As the sun made its decent down, Nokomis put on a hat, scarf and gloves as the temperature started dipping into the teens.
The group finally stopped when they found a cave to retire in. Everyone went about their jobs: collecting fire wood, tending the fire, hunting, patrolling for unwanted visitors, etc. After all was said and done, Nokomis walked to the mouth of the cave and gazed up at her favorite moon; the afocal moon.
"Still feel the pull of the moon even though you have no magical connection to it?" Dakota smirked as he walked up beside her.
She didn't even look at him as she replied, "Yes. I have always loved the moon, so imperfectly perfect."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Unlike the sun that looks perfect all the time, the moon waxes and wanes and you can see blemishes on it. They may be craters and mountains, but from here it looks imperfect with its dark and light spots."
"You are weird, you know that Noko?"
"So I have been told... Why are you a Son of the Moon?"
"What?" He looked at her like she was crazy for asking.
"Why are you the Son of the Moon? There are other water based fraternities you could have joined."
"Why did you join the sisterhood?"
"Because my mother. We are in different situations due to I am only a sister because of my mother therefore I had to join the Daughter of the Moon. If it was not for her I would not be able to be one."
"You could have left this world behind you once you turned 18. It's not like you are really wanted by the Fey anyway." Nokomis flinched. She knew he was only saying what came to mind and the truth, but it still hurt. She didn't need to be told she wasn't wanted by this world. She turned and walked back into the cave. "Noko, where are you going?" She didn't reply as she settled down on her bedroll and curled up to sleep. She burrowed deep into her cloak and blanket, trying to retain any heat she could.
She was quiet the next day, keeping up with the rigorous pace the best she could. It was late November and the average high was about 25, making each step an effort. Although she was layered with heavy clothes, she still had a slight chill in her bones; she was beginning to worry about Russia.
"You really weren't made for cold weather were you human?" Corbin laughed as he walked in the same type of clothing he started off with.
Nokomis glared, "You would be cold too. Why do you not take off your cloak which my mother enchanted with cold resistance and tell me how you fair."
"Oh someone's snappy today." She didn't reply as she hid deeper in her hood and looked down.
"Corbin, stop being an ass." Chezza snapped.
"What? You wouldn't care if she was any other human. You hate them just as much as I do." Corbin defended.
"Well, she isn't so bugger off."
"You are such a hypocrite."
"It is like American history. Like the person but not the race." Nokomis muttered before falling back so she was bringing up the rear. Corbin looked at her with a disgusted face.
"Corbin, stop causing problems." Rhyme sighed next to his friend.
"What? You're now a fan of her? Aren't you on the Light side?" He glared.
"Not really, but this bantering will make the journey so much longer. Pretend she doesn't exist."
"Like you do?" Rhyme shrugged. "How can I when she's brought up every five minutes?"
"You only think that because you are hyperaware of her."
"She's human, of course I am hyperaware of her! Her kind is the reason the Fey had to go into hiding."
"I am aware Corbin, but that is not her fault."
"Oh now you are defending her?"
Rhyme could feel his friend become more angry. "Not really, I am merely saying she has not swayed me either way. She keeps to herself and I keep to mine."
Corbin opened his mouth to say something when Orthrus howled and started running. The group looked at each other and quickly followed after. Nokomis was the last to arrive at the destination. A small amount of ghostly figures wandered around aimlessly among a group of trees. "What is going on? I saw on of those yesterday." She pointed to the silvery light on a tree. A soul came out of it and joined the others. "However, that did not happen." Orthrus growled at the silver light.
"That light has a strange feeling about it." Corbin looked at it confused.
"I agree." Dakota walked over but kept a safe distance from it. Corbin quickly followed after him.
"I've felt this before but I can't remember from what."
"What is that?" Dakota leaned forward. "There is something in it but I can't tell what it is." Before they could distinguish what it was, the light grew bright and within seconds it was gone. "That was strange."
"Agreed."
"We should keep an eye out for those. If they are producing the souls, they may be a clue to what is going on." Sage said. Everyone nodded, feeling uneasy about the strange light. After a moment Orthrus started herding all the souls into one large group and let out an ear splitting howl. The group cringed as the group below the souls opened up to the Underworld and they disappeared.
"That was cool." Dakota nodded his approval. "Good job." He smirked at the two headed dog. Orthrus looked at him and then trotted off to continue his way. The group soon followed after the dog, trying to make up for their delay. Nokomis stopped when something near the tree distracted her. She walked over and found another piece of paper with the letters YAK on it. This paper was different, thicker and with a sheen to it.
"Nokomis!" Sage's voice called to her.
She looked up and called, "Coming." She stuffed the paper into the pocket with the other one.