The Wayfarer Way Station

The group arrived in the Fey village just east of Billings eight days after Nokomis got the directions. The young woman stayed close to Aron as they navigated through the Fey infested town. The large mixed party received many stares, some confused to why they smelt a human and others baffled as to why Shadow and Light Fey were working together.
Nokomis wanted to touch Aron reassuringly for he looked like he wanted to bolt, but knew it would be a terrible idea. His once deceptively relaxed body, was now taut with anxiety and distrust. "Do you not like towns?" She whispered just loud enough for Aron's ears.
"No." He replied simply, head moving back and forth.
"Aron, try to relax you are scaring the villagers." Sage had dropped back so he was walking beside the pair. He placed a hand on the young man's head. He visibly lost the tightness in his muscle, but Nokomis could tell mentally he had not relaxed. "Good." At the slight praise, Aron let out the breath he had been holding and leaned into the touch. "Be prepared to stay the night, we may have to."
Aron nodded and muttered, "If we must."
"It will depend on the what time we can get a portal."
"Fine." Sage nodded and sped up so he was near Chezza and Dakota.
"Don't want you killing anyone now do we?" A pack member smirked.
"Or abandoning us." Another one mocked. Aron went rigid again with clenched fists. Nokomis stretched out a hand without thinking and placed it on his bicep. Wolves weren't the only creatures who sought out comfort through touch. However, the action backfired and Aron glared down at Nokomis as he snarled at her. She immediately pulled her hand back as he separated himself from her by moving up. The teasing pack members laughed at the entertainment before them.
"Why do you treat him so?" She asked sighing at how wound up he was again.
"He's the Omega in our pack, he's here for our entertainment. Him being your guardian is too much temptation to resist." The first wolf grinned. "He is too easy."
"Should you not be nicer to your pack mates?"
"Do you know nothing about Omegas?"
"I understand that they are the lowest rank in a pack, but he is still part of your pack."
The second wolf snorted, "Barely."
The conversation was cut short when Sage commanded, "Aron, get Nokomis and stand in the middle of everyone." The group quickly moved to create a circle around the human and shapeshifter. Nokomis wondered why, but soon found out.
"Hello shifter, how may I help you?" A middle aged Mage asked.
Chezza smiled, "We wish for your services. My group and I need a portal to Australia."
The man's eyebrows raised, "That's a far distance."
"Why we need a portal."
"I will have to contact the Australian Mages for a connection, but it should be doable. When do you need it?"
"As soon as possible."
"What Fey should be going through?"
"Will it matter?"
"To some degree, yes. Is it one element or different elements we need to entwine in our portal?"
"Many kinds I suppose."
"Just tell me please so I can be sure to add them all." He pulled out parchment and waited.
"Two groups of shifters, a Siren, a Wind Wizard, Water Wizard, a Hellhound-"
"You have a fucking Hellhound?" The man asked loudly in disbelief.
Chezza rolled her eyes, "Yes, important business."
"It can't use our portals. We don't have a dark Mage here."
Chezza messaged her temples and then looked down at Orthrus, "You'll have to go through the Underworld mutt." Orthrus growled but nodded and bled back into the group.
"Any other type?"
"We have a human with us."
"Why the fuck to you have a human? What kind of group are you?"
"A very unique kind, don't ask questions." She snapped. "Our reasons are our own. Can you make our portal or not?" Her gold eyes boring holes into the Mage.
Intimidated, the man replied, "Yes. It'll take a day's time to create such a complicated portal. Come back tomorrow at dinner. And it's going to cost you 30 Gold and 87 silver."
"That's a lot of money."
"That's the final price. You are having me create a portal for three elements and a human, that's a lot of power. Now off with you." He turned and stalked away.
"I don't think he likes us." Chezza crossed her arms over her chest.
"Your attitude had nothing to do with it?" Sage asked her.
She scowled, "He was being rude."
"And you weren't?"
"Shut up wolf."
"Don't have a tizzy panther."
"Let's go find somewhere to sleep." She stalked off to find a tavern or inn. Two hours later everyone had a room, granted they were in three different places but at least it was a bed to sleep in. Nokomis was unpacking some clean clothes when Chezza burst into the room. Nokomis jumped as Aron glared before settling back on his bed.
"Relax Aron, I'm not here for you. Come Noko, we are going to eat." She grabbed the young woman's hand and pulled her out of the room.
"Is it okay for me to?"
"Don't worry, it'll be fine." They joined the others and were there five minutes when Nokomis's presence was known.
"Her kinds not welcome here." The owner glared at the human.
"She's with us." Chezza said.
"I's don't care. Her kinds not welcome here." The argument quickly escalated into a shouting match. Sage tried to mediate but was quickly pushed aside and ignored.
Nokomis grew tired and knew that if it continued no one would be eating tonight. She got up and said, "It is fine, I am not hungry anyway. Stay and eat." She excused herself and quickly returned back to her room. Aron eyed her with one eye when she opened the door.
"That didn't take long." He commented. She shrugged as she sat on her bed and stared out the window.
"Are you not eating?" She asked after some time.
"I will later."
"Are you the Omega in your pack?"
Aron scowled at her back. "You know the answer." He was aware that the others had told her so.
"I want to hear you say it. I will not believe anything unless told straight to me from the person."
She confused him. Humans were known for gossiping, for believing in lies and not seeking out the truth, for having ulterior motives. "Why do you care?"
"Curious and I have questions." She still didn't look at him, too busy staring at the setting sun.
"What if I don't want to be interrogated?" He snapped, she made him angry. She appeared so innocent and yet he knew better than anyone that humans were full of deceit.
"Then you do not have to answer."
He growled quietly to himself. "Why do you speak so freaking formal?"
Finally she spun around with a small smile, "How about we play question for question?"
She was giving him whiplash. "We aren't children."
"So? I will answer your questions if you answer mine. Anything you really wish not to talk about you can pass on."
"Fine." He sighed and saw her toxic eyes brighten more as a smile bloomed on her face. How could such a reluctant 'okay' warrant such a smile?
"Are you the Omega of your pack?"
"Yes." He answered simply. "Why do you speak so formally?" The way she spoke had bugged him. She was one of the youngest in the group, yet her speech made her seem wiser than any of them.
"My mother and father speak in such a fashion that I picked it up. They are old world and do not believe in contractions and do not usually use slang." She was a lot more open than him, giving explanations where he would give maybe a sentence.
"Do you have to eat after everyone else?"
"Yes." He replied reluctantly. She nodded and waited patiently with her legs crossed. "Why are you up here instead of eating?"
Her face fell a little as she replied in a normal voice, "They do not serve humans. How old are you?"
Aron scrunched up his face, "Huh?" He was expecting another pack question.
"How old are you?"
"25."
"Huh, I was pegging you for a little older."
"Whatever, I'm not. Where did you get the name Nokomis?"
"My mother found me under the full moon so she named me Nokomis which is pagan for Daughter of the Moon. Ironic because this was before she joined the sisterhood." She chuckled. "What do your tattoos mean?" Aron stiffened and seemed to stop breathing. "Does the moon effect you like a werewolf?"
"That's two questions." He grumbled.
"Answer the latter one, I changed my mind."
He eyed her as he replied, "Yes and no. We aren't forced to change and become mindless bloodthirsty animals, but we do feel its pull. We would rather be a wolf when the moon is waxing and especially on the full moon, but we can control ourselves."
Nokomis frowned, "How come I have not seen any of you as a wolf then?"
"You already asked your questions."
"Oops." She laughed, "Sorry." She motioned for him.
He shook his head and thought, "Did you always go to human school?"
"No, up until I was 13 I was homeschooled. When I reached high school or secondary school, I went to human school. How come I have not seen any of you in your alternate form?"
"It's easier to travel at a two legged pace when we only have two legs. Besides, we aren't fans of humans seeing our other forms." He shifted his eyes to see how Nokomis would react and was slightly surprised to see her nodding.
"Understandable. I just hope we do not meet an enemy wolf shifter pack."
"Why?"
"Is that your question?"
He scowled and replied, "Sure."
"Because then I will be of no help. If there are two packs that shift into wolf forms, I will not know who is on my side. I will have to stand off to the side or up a tree."
Aron hadn't thought of that before and was annoyed at the logic behind it. "You'll probably see us soon enough."
"That will be exciting. Now, what is your accent?"
"Greenlandic." He replied without thinking and then froze.
"That is why I never heard it before." She seemed satisfied with his answer and he sighed in relief when she didn't pry.
"Why don't you get mad at Corbin and some of the others when they disrespect you?"
This time she shrugged more slowly and looked down, "They cannot help it, it was how they were raised."
"But you barely react."
"I have learned it is easier to not get upset. It will only hurt more if I fight anyone on the matter of my status." Aron had a feeling she meant more than her being human.
They spent the next hour bouncing questions back and forth, staying away from questions that would pain the other. Finally Aron grew hungry enough to actively seek out food. He agreed to bring Nokomis some tea since she said she still wasn't hungry, he wasn't sure he fully believed her. By the time he made it to the dining center, the other members of their party had left. He sighed in relief and made his way to a lone table in the shadows.
"What would you like sir?" The owner asked.
"Stew, bread, and water." He replied lowly.
"You got it." The man walked off and left the wolf alone. Aron watched the other Fey talking and milling about. He was never comfortable in this kind of setting even before he exiled himself from Greenland. He longed to go back, but he knew it would bring up too many painful memories. Hell, they were already returning thanks to Nokomis and didn't need more. It pissed him off that Cerberus had chosen him for this stupid task. It gave the other members even more of a reason to ridicule him. None of them knew why he had left his homeland, but that didn't stop them from being asses to him and teasing him. Aron understood what Nokomis meant when she said it was easier to not react to what others say, he did it all the time. But their situations were different and he hated how much he wanted to feel bad for at times. She was a human, she was going to end up fucking them over eventually.
He cast all thoughts aside when his dinner arrived and ate quietly. A few females tried to talk to him and he swiftly ignored them. Once finished and given a cup of tea to go, he made his exit. He only relaxed when he entered the inn he was staying in and was almost to his room. He paused and cocked his head when he heard singing coming from his room. As he approached the door he was hit with the smell of Japanese Cherry Blossoms. The song switched and he leaned on the wall outside his room to listen; it was a song he's never heard before. Nokomis was surprisingly good.

You're begging on your knees without dirtying your hand
You want someone to love, but not someone I can
The wilderness calls me again
A trusted friend in my exile
I'm free in my exile, I'm free

The stringless thorns replace the fishhooks in my flesh
You try to draw me in but still deny the net
You're clinging to what I have left
While I forget in my exile
I'm free in my exile, I'm free to forget

I brand these rags and tatters on my feet
Here are tests I know that I can beat

You say that I am weak and kiss the tears away
You offer what I need for more than I can pay
My choice is who I should betray
Or to stay in my exile
I'm free in my exile, I'm free to stay
I'm free in my exile
I'm free in my exile, I'm free
I'm free again

He opened the door right as she ended the song. Nokomis spun around startled and Aron was hit with a wave of Japanese Cherry Blossom. "You are back." She took a few deep breaths before she finished braiding her hair.
"I am. Here." He held out her tea.
She smiled and plucked it from his hand. "Thank you." He turned to his bed and laid down with his back to her. Nokomis finished up getting ready for bed, drank her tea, and finally settled down for the night.