~~
Trinity
~~
Things were still moving very fast even after the battle ended. It was time for us to prepare for the funerals. I knew that everyone would want to have their own private funerals, and I both expected and respected that, but I also wanted to hold a massive funeral, something where we could all get together and console each other on the loss of the people we knew and cared for.
The preparations for the funeral went quickly, we all seemed to be in agreement for it all. Everyone also agreed to my idea for the remains. They liked the thought of their loved ones protecting us all forever, after all they died protecting this city. They gave their lives for something they believed in, and giving them places of honor and protection around the city would be the most respectful thing we could do, in my mind at least.
Being that it was almost the end of June, the weather was nice and it would be perfect for the large outdoor funeral. The atmosphere was slightly subdued to what it was during the wedding, but everyone still showed up to our place in large groups. There were just as many people, if not more, that came to the funeral. There were a lot of people from the fealty and treaty packs that came that were not at the wedding.
We wanted to focus on everyone's lives, who they were as a person. There would be different speakers that would come up and tell us about the people, celebrating who they were and what they were likely to miss the most about them.
I know that funerals are hard for people, that they bring that final blow that the person is gone. But I am a firm believer that a funeral should be a celebration of life, the life that was lost. I don't think anyone who dies wants anyone to cry over them. I think that the person who died would prefer that the people left behind were able to smile over the good memories instead of holding each other as they cried over the bad ones.
I wanted this funeral to be the celebration of lives lost. I wanted everyone to get a chance to share good memories and bring smiles to our faces. We would all, inevitably, be sad regardless, but we could keep it from getting too bad with some hard work and luck.
It had only been five days since the battle, and the heartache was still fresh for all those who had lost family, friends, and loved ones. Reece and I went around and greeted every leader and at least one representative for every person who had been lost. Being that there was a variety of species not everyone had family left to mourn them.
As I made my rounds, consoling loved ones and friends, and introducing myself to the alphas and other leaders of packs and clans, I felt my heart aching and my body weighing me down. I could feel their pain, their sorrow, and their loss. But there was something else I could feel as well, and I had an inkling, a minute suspicion, that this new feeling was caused by me. What I felt was hope.
I felt that everyone I met, every crying face I saw, had their spirits lifted when I shook their hands and spoke to them. Was this something that came from being so touched by the celestials? Was this the doing of Nehalennia and Thoth? I felt like it was, and that made me smile, it meant that I had another way to help my people.
After the introductions were over, it was time for the pack and clan leaders to give speeches, announcing the names of their lost members and for them to say something positive about them. But before they started, Reece was going to open things up.
"Friends, family, allies, I would like to welcome you all to my home. I'm glad you have all come to celebrate the lives we lost so recently. The threat that we faced wasn't just one for my family or my pack. The threat that Edmond posed was to the world and I am so glad that we could all come together and work so well together. All of us, Vampires, Warlocks, Wolves, Bears, Lions, Tigers, Lynxes, Jaguars, Leopards, Eagles, Falcons, and Hawks, all of us came together and fought with honor. The fighters we lost will never be forgotten, they will live on in our hearts and memories forever. As you all know, my wife has been blessed by not one but two celestial beings. She is marked by the Great Mother of Shifters as well as by the Gracious Father of Magic. The thing that Nehalennia and Thoth are both hoping for is that together, we can unite the shadow world, unite all the species within its collective borders and bring peace to us all. When I look at all of you gathered here I believe that the future they desire is just that much closer at hand."
When Reece's speech was done there wasn't a dry eye in sight. It was like everyone, including me, felt his sincerity filling his words. The words spoken, the heart behind them, it touched them all deeply. I felt the pride for my husband swell within me.
After Reece left the clearing open for the others, the first up was Crawford. He was there to honor and represent the warlocks that we lost. These were people that were mine now as well. They were part of my collective pack.
"Thank you, Reece." Crawford nodded to Reece and I before he began his speech. "I am the elder, the leader, of the Warlocks. For the longest time I was the highest authority among them, but now I happily give that title to my Queen, and friend, Trinity Gray. From the moment I met her I knew she was special, so did every member of the Aerie Convento. Not a single one of us thought twice when we were asked to go to war with them. That was a decision we all made with ease. We would fight for our queen no matter what the odds were. Maria Shepherd, Sylvester Carmichael, and Ferdinand Bennos, were the ones we lost last week. Maria was a woman with a kind soul and a determined heart. She was strong and willing to stand up for what was right. Sylvester was a fighter through and through. He protected people no matter the cost and he died doing what he loved the most, saving people. Ferdinand preferred books to fighting, but even so he was a strong man with good morals. He never doubted his ability to fight at all. These three lives lost, these three that fell during the Battle of Edmond will be immortalized as protectors of this city and the world and I cannot imagine a more fitting remembrance for them." Crawford was teary eyed but held a smile through his whole speech. When he stepped down and walked past me I clapped him on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, offering just a little comfort.
Dietrich was next. I watched as he kissed Shawn on the cheek before taking a steadying breath. Slowly and solemnly he walked toward the opening in the clearing where both Reece and Crawford had given their speeches. With one last calming breath, Dietrich began his speech.
"Friends, allies, brothers and sisters. I am honored that I am the one to give this speech to you all today. I have been the leader of the vampires for a very long time and I have had a chance to meet nearly all of my compatriots. We all lost people we knew, people we care about during the Battle of Edmond. Just like Crawford, it didn't even cross my mind to not fight alongside the Grays and the Red Springs pack. I had never met Edmond, but I have met men like him and they are never a good thing for this world. The ones that we lost to that fight were good people, but I know that they would not regret fighting to stop a man like Edmond. All we can do now is remember them with grace. The men and women I lost didn't have family that could mourn them, they had been nearly immortal for so long that their families, were they still alive when they turned, have all long since passed on. Leon Marx, Anaheim Titan, Alec Mazor, Julius Silva, and Marion Nexus. They were good people and I am happy that there are so many people out there that will help to keep their memories alive and honor their sacrifice."
Dietrich wasn't crying like Crawford was, but he was still so filled with emotions that you could see them weighing him down like a lead weight. He walked slowly like he was carrying the world with him as he walked out of the clearing and allowed Trevor Jacoby, the bear alpha, to take his place.
"I have never really been good at this whole speech thing." Trevor Jacoby, the man I met at the wedding said as he ran his hand nervously through his hair. "I've known Reece since we were kids. He was almost like a brother to me at one time and that friendship has never gone away. When I met his wife at their wedding and learned that she was the Luna Queen, my Queen, I knew that it was right. Reece is a strong and worthy alpha, and I recognized him as my king immediately. I was proud to fight in this battle and so was every bear in the western states. I didn't lose as many as some did, but I lost one very important to me among them. Every bear I lost that day was like a blow to me physically as well as emotionally. I lost three from my pack. Brain MacKenzie, I'm not going to say he was a great man, he had a lot of attitude for someone so low ranked, but he was a good guy and a great father. He will be missed so much by his three kids. Corey Bleu, he was a world class ass, but he was one of my best friends. And lastly, Evan Jacoby, my little brother. He had just mated and fathered a cub of his own. I will make sure that my niece or nephew will always know what a great man my little brother was. They will know that even though I was the alpha, my brother was the better man among the two of us, and I am a big enough man to admit that. I'm too brash and ill mannered at times, but I am going to work hard to live up to his memories. I will make sure that my pack remembers all of them and all the others lost last week."
As Trevor left the clearing Reece hugged his friend. Trevor, the man who seemed so big and brutish when I first met him, was now crying softly. This was not the celebration of life I was hoping for, but I still felt like things were going well. Next was a man I had just met, his name was Landon Clayton, and he was the Alpha of the felines. Like the bears there weren't as many felines for them to have that many alphas. Landon, a tiger shifter, was the only feline alpha in the entire country. Every feline lost that day was a member of his collective pack. Landon was tall with emerald green eyes and blond hair, and he had the typical athletic build of a shifter.
"I will give this speech because I have to, but know that I really don't want to be here. I respect my people, and I pay tribute to my king and queen. I understand that and acknowledge them, but I am not this kind of person. Felines are not the type to roam in large packs, we travel small. I lead them all, yes, but I don't know them very well. I will admit that we lost a lot of fine people, a fair few when you think of how little of us there are. I will name those we lost by species and that will be it. Among the tigers were Nick Berry and Yvette Smith. The lions were Max Allman, Eli Peters, and Simon Tidwell. The lynxes were Tilly Smalls, John Alexander, and Jesse Tiberius. The jaguars were Diego Cortez and Matthew Jury. And lastly, the leopards were Domino Jacksly, Ronald Sticks, and Freddy Jayson. These men and women fought bravely as did everyone else. They will be missed and honored."
That was all Landon had to say. He was unemotional when he spoke but he didn't sound disrespectful at all. He just seemed straightforward and to the point. As he stalked out of the clearing a tall, exotic looking woman took his place. Her hair was black with differently colored strands streaked through it, the strands looked like feathers from a distance but I saw that they were indeed her hair. Her eyes were a beautiful amber color that seemed to glow with the light.
"My name is Noir Steelwing, I am the Alpha to one of the smallest clans of shifters there is. We are the Avians, and we make up the birds of prey shifters. Our numbers have been dwindling for years, but that did not stop me from stepping up and helping when I was needed. My people are proud and believe in doing what is morally right. We banded together and fought to rid this world of evil. And while we may have lost a few of our ranks, we saved millions more with that fight. I will forever remember them all. Nathan and Natalie Freeman, the brother and sister falcons that always fought side by side. Gil Manchester and Jerry James, the eagles who bravely stepped up to fight for those who they'd never met. And lastly, Lincoln Thomas and Avery Townes, the hawks who were fearless enough to fly headlong into battle, no matter the cost. I will immortalize them in the memories of my people, I hope you will all do the same."
With that, Noir was finished. She stepped out of the circle and joined her clan at the back. Now, it was my turn to talk. I was nervous, and I could feel my stomach roiling again, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and suppressed the butterflies. I needed to be a leader now, I needed to be the Queen.
I stepped forward, faced the people as I turned slowly to look at them all. And I began, even without a steadying breath.
"I thank you all for coming today. This last little while has been a trying time for us all, this pack more than any other, but we all suffered losses. I was going to have the Alpha of the other two wolf packs come forward and introduce their dead, but as we lost the most among the wolves and given my status, I have been asked to take the lead here. But first, I want to start by thanking each and everyone of you for joining us. Not just today, but last week as well. The battle was hard, and it will live on as a blight in our memories for a long time, but we succeeded. The cost doesn't always justify the outcome, but I am honored to call you all allies. I am honored and humbled to have had the chance to fight alongside everyone that day. Thank you, once again, for stepping up and doing what needed to be done. Between all the packs, clans, and covens, we lost thirty-six people that day. You have heard about thirty of them so far, so without further ado, let me tell you about the rest of them."
I paused for a moment, taking that steadying breath I hadn't needed earlier. Then, feeling stronger and more emboldened, I continued. "Stephen Rhodes, of the Black Canyons Pack, led by Bryce Evans. I didn't know Stephen but he has been described as kind and caring and willing to help anyone he could. He often put others ahead of himself and was quick with a smile. Harvey Blake and Kenny Phillips, from the Azure River Pack led by Riley Gray. Harvey was a man of few words that was better at expressing himself through actions. Kenny was shy but was always eager to please and very helpful. Frank Willoby, Zeek Wilkins, and Richard Hall, all from the Red Springs Pack led by Reece Gray. Frank and Zeek both worked as gate guards and protected our inner sanctum. Frank was aloof and often hard to get along with, but nonetheless, Zeek was his best friend. Zeek was just the opposite of Frank, outgoing and friendly, he was always ready with a smile for everyone. Richard was a school teacher, a man that loved children. He refused to let a man come into his city and hurt his children. He gave his life to protect not just the pack, but the city and the world. All these men, and all the others who were lost, they fought bravely and with so much honor. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten and their protections will never fade. We have prepared places of honor for them around the city, places the humans won't know the meaning of but we of the shadow world will know, and we will always remember. I ask that you all join me celebrating the good memories and positive things they left behind so they will not spend their eternal hunt in sorrow. Let's remember them for who they were, what they did, and the smiles we shared with them all."
My speech was the only one that got a round of applause, and everyone was once again crying like they did with Reece's speech, but they were also smiling through it all. The speeches were now over and it was time to move on to the part where people mingled and remembered. I watched everyone as they milled about, crying still but laughing and smiling through the tears. When we all left for the night, everyone had learned who each and every one of those lost thirty-six were, not just some pretty words given for a funeral but who they really truly were.
I couldn't have asked for a better night.
