In the Forests They Watch and Wait, FFT
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In the Forests They Watch and Wait
Pairing:
Edward and Bella
Rating:
R
Summary:
Edward and Bella live in a time when the world of magic is forbidden. Anyone with a
power has to keep it hidden and hope to survive. But what happens with the high wardens
come to the small town of Denali? Who will survive their carefully hidden secret? AU‐AH.
Disclaimer:
Stephenie Meyer owns any Twilight characters that may appear in this story. The
remainder is my original work. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my
express written authorization. And No copyright infringement is intended.
Authors Note:
I just want to say a quick thank you to my partner in crime and amazing beta
kyla713
! She tackled this beast for me late and did an amazing job.
To The People of Denali:
In an attempt against our lives, those who know the ways of magic tried to stage a coup. They
came into our homes as we slept, overtook our guards, and threatened our very existence
with their abilities. No one saw them coming and those who did paid greatly for it.
For centuries we have lived in peace together, but that is no more. One truth was made
abundantly clear.
The magical world is dangerous.
We, your high wardens, will not tolerate such a blatant disregard for the laws that have been
set in place. It is our duty to maintain order and stop those who wish to disrupt it. Those who
wish to take matters into their own hands are no longer welcome. Leave if you so choose, but
bear one thing in mind.
The use and teachings of enchantments is henceforth forbidden in the New Land.
Anyone who is found breaking this law will be executed immediately.
We will restore order and peace amongst the Land again.
Fear not.
It was winter in Denali. Snow covered most of the land and kept nearly everyone
indoors. The silence was almost deafening in its completeness. Anyone who wasn’t from the
village would think the area had been deserted. But the rest of us knew better.
So, instead of holing up in my family’s house to wait out the weather, I found myself
slinking between the trees in the forest. It was the one place we could go to freely use our
abilities, especially during the winter. My body was on full alert, my breath clouding around me
from the frigid air as I searched for my opponent.
Various sounds filled the forest, but I did my best to tune them out and listen for one
distinct noise. I searched for her familiar scent with each step, knowing that she had to be
close.
With a pause, I tilted my head to the right and listened. Nothing.
I took another step and stopped.
The air around me stirred and I caught a hint of orange blossoms and a fire hearth.
Her scent.
She was close.
Just as I was about to make my move, a flurry of fur and teeth came flying through the
air at me. On instinct, I raised my hand in front of me and watched as the white and gray wolf
froze mid‐air.
She growled and snapped her jaw at me before finally shifting forms.
“You can put me down now,” she huffed. Her long locks of brown hair floated around
her head as though the wind was blowing it and her equally brown eyes blazed. She looked
angry and beautiful.
I chuckled, feeling the energy of power crackle in response to my mood. “Now where
would the fun be in that?” I teased.
“Edward Cullen!”
I sighed and lowered my hand. The concentration I had been using began to ease and
gently released the hold it had on her as she lowered to the ground. When her feet planted
firmly on the snow‐covered grass, I completely let go of the power and grinned at the frazzled
girl before me.
She narrowed her eyes at me and stomped her foot in exasperation. Seeing her angry
was adorable. “You know it’s not fair for you to use your powers when we’re fighting, Edward.”
“Just like it’s not fair for you to shift in the middle of a fight, Bella.” I crossed my arms
over my chest as I continued to pant, my breaths coming out in clouds of heavy gasps. “I was
just following your lead.”
Bella just shook her head and stormed off into the trees. The cloak that wrapped around
her shoulders swirled around her body as she turned to leave. Her feet barely made a sound as
she moved through the snow at a quick pace.
I shook my head and moved to catch up with her. When I reached her side, I leaned
down and said, “You’re getting better. I didn’t catch your scent until just before you attacked.”
For a few seconds she didn’t say anything. Her nose was scrunched up and her hands
balled into fists, but as my words sunk in she began to relax. “Really?” she asked softly, her
cheeks pink from the chilled wind.
“Of course.” She had almost bested me, but my reflexes had always been quicker. “I’m
impressed at how quickly you picked it all up.” My brothers and I had been training, both with
our powers and in combat, since we were small children. It had always been done in secret
because of the high wardens’ law. Bella hadn’t started training with us until recently, but she
was proving to be a quick study.
The shy smile that graced her lips let me know that she was pleased. We continued to
make our way through the trees toward the village in silence. I watched Bella out of the corner
of my eye, ready to catch her if she happened to fall. She was graceful when fighting, but could
find almost anything to trip over the rest of the time.
Just before we broke through the trees to enter the market, I reached for Bella’s hand
and tugged her to stop. Her small body crashed into mine and I wrapped my arms around her
to keep her from falling back. Her eyes widened slightly and she bit down on her bottom lip
nervously.
I couldn’t speak for a moment.
Somewhere along the way, Isabella Swan had grown up. No longer was she the
awkward and gangly little girl that used to follow me everywhere. She had become a woman‐ a
slender frame and perfect curves only adding to her beauty. It was a subtle change, but one
that I had begun to notice. She had no idea how attractive she was.
Closing my eyes, I attempted to pull myself together before speaking. When I looked
back at her, Bella was watching me curiously. Her head tilted to the side and her lip released
from her teeth and parted.
“Uh, Esme asked me to invite you and Charlie over for dinner tomorrow.” I was pleased
to hear that my voice was steadier than I felt.
“Oh, um, okay. I’ll let him know when he returns.” Her small hands rested on my chest,
the heat from her skin burning through the fabric of my shirt. “Tell Esme thank you.”
I nodded, my eyes moving to her lips as she spoke. “I will.”
We stood like that for an immeasurable moment. Our eyes locked and our bodies
pressed together. My heart pounded against my ribs.
A feeling passed through me at that moment and I knew Bella was showing me
something. She had the ability to send impressions and feelings to others. Sometimes, I
believed she didn’t even realize when she was doing it. It came in quite handy though when she
couldn’t quite put into words what she was thinking.
That time Bella shared an impression with me, the way she saw me in that moment and
the question she wanted to ask.
I grinned. She truly was an amazing creature.
“Edward?” she said softly.
“Yeah?” I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts and realized that we were still
embracing. “Oh, sorry. Umm, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” My arms released their hold around
her, aching with the loss.
She smiled and nodded her head. “Tomorrow.” And then she stood up on the tips of her
toes and kissed me on the cheek, darting through the rest of the trees quickly.
I chuckled, my skin warm from the pressure of her lips.
Ooo~Ooo~Ooo
The Cullen family home was on the opposite side of the village from where I was. It was
the largest in property and size because my father was Denali’s healer, or doctor; he needed
enough room to treat and care for the ailing. At one time or another, Carlisle had treated just
about everyone in the vicinity.
I made it home just as the sky began to darken. The sign with the wardens ban in the
middle of the market for all to see. Lights from the neighboring homes lit my way, smoke
billowing out from the chimneys. I remained in the doorway when I entered, stomping the
snow from my shoes and removing my cloak and gloves.
As I set my cloak on its hook, I took in a deep breath. Dinner was nearly ready. The
spices and fresh meat of our meal wafted through the air as it cooked in the fireplace. Our
home was warm from the extra wood burners placed throughout, creating a warm and cozy
feeling. We Cullen men were extremely lucky.
“Edward, is that you?” Esme called.
I slid my shoes off and set them next to the others. “Yes, mother. It’s me.”
She turned around in her chair to see me, her hair glowing from the fireplace. The
caramel strands were pinned back, out of her face. “What were you doing out there? You look a
mess,” she scolded, her brown eyes narrowing at me.
“Just some training,” I said with a shrug.
“With what, a frozen lake as your opponent? I bet your clothes are soaked through.
Change them this instant or you’ll catch a death.” She stood up, ignoring the bubbling pot
behind her.
“Yes, mother.” I kissed the top of her head.
“Get.” She laughed, holding her towel up as though to hit me with it.
I darted out of the way and through the next room where a ladder led to the top level. I
changed into some dry clothes quickly and was about to head back down again when my two
older brother’s came into my room, laughing. They were twins, having just celebrated their
nineteenth birthday. They still considered me a child, being only seventeen.
Emmett bounded his way in and sat on my bed. Jasper, on the other hand, slunk his way
to the open doorway and watched, his arms folded behind him. None of us really looked alike,
but we did somehow manage to look like family. When Emmett finally spoke, I sighed with
relief that we could finally get on with it.
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