Elvira has been gone for a solid five minutes, causing the vampires on land to grow antsy for the return of their dear friend. The wolves flatten their ears against their heads as the dire situation registers in their minds. However, despite their mother being missing, the dragons are acting as if everything was fine. Sullivan is spinning in a mud puddle he had found while Shea is carefully watching for any predators in the wild. Vera and Duncan are huffing at one another, looking like they were arguing. Rowan is sniffing the ground and cautiously scratching her claws into the soil. Suddenly, a tower of earth shots up from the ground with Elvira sitting on top of it Indian style. She smiles jovially down at everyone, dirt sticking to her red hair and smeared all over her pale face. Her periwinkle eyes gleam dangerously as she hops off the tower she created. She cracks her back and sighs.

"I think that's enough, Rowan. You look tired." Elvira strolls towards her youngest dragon, stroking the red scales decorating Rowan's body.

"Your dragons are scary," Emmett comments while eyeing Vera and Sullivan suspiciously. "Did you leave the best for last?" He goes back to being his joking self in less than a second that the change of behavior nearly went unnoticed by everyone. Everyone besides Rosalie that is. She easily detects the shift in his mood and reaches down to grip his hand tightly within hers. Elvira stares at Vera and Sullivan before shaking her head.

"If I let them fight, most of us will probably die. Even if it's only a sparring match. You will see what they can do on the day the battle commences. I refuse to place your lives in danger." She informs the different populations of creatures. "May this meeting resume?" She nods her head politely in Jasper's direction.

"Actually, that's all we have to go over today." Jasper releases everyone from training. Elvira whistles and her dragons quickly trot towards her.

"Shea, Rowan, and Duncan, I want you three to go search for food. Be careful, understood? No humans can see you. Vera and Sullivan, camouflage yourselves and search for any hostile man in the area." She orders. Her dragons snort and raise their heads in the air before setting off to do their duties. Elvira ambles to Jasper who seems to have a deep conversation with Bella.

"Jasper, are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Bella questions with clear desperation and helplessness in her tone. Elvira tilts her head to the side while carefully observing Edward's mate. At first glance, she believed Bella to be strong-willed, introvert, and a warrior. Yet she could see a wall of vulnerability surrounding Bella as if one touch would completely shatter her exterior.

"Your presence alone, your scent will distract the newborns. Their hunting instinct will take over, drive them crazy." Jasper explains to her, locking eyes with Elvira and silently questions her on why she is intensely staring at Bella.

"Good. I'm glad. Hey. How do you know so much about this?" Bella inquiries very insensitively.

"Bella, that may be a topic you are not ready to hear." Elvira intervenes as soon as she notices the expression on Jasper's face. Bella looks taken back that one of her questions has been denied. Jasper calmly places a hand on Elvira's arm to soothe the growing tension between the two females in front of him.

"It's okay, Eli. I didn't have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings." Jasper slowly rolls up his sleeves to showcase the scars forever embedded into his skin and soul. Bella gazes at them in such awe that Elvira felt sickened at it. How could anyone look so happy at the sight of scars? Scars that represent the hard times the individual has faced?

"Those bites are like mine." Bella reaches out to trace one with her finger. Elvira's periwinkle eyes narrow in anger.

"Battle scars. All the training the Confederate Army gave me was useless against the newborns. Still, I never lost a fight." Jasper smiles jokingly and begins to walk at a slow-paced to allow the females to keep in rhythm with his steps.

"This has happened during the civil war?" Bella asks.

"I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry. All without having seen any real battle." Jasper informs her. Elvira's lips tug downwards into a deep frown. She had heard this story before, a story she utterly despised with all her heart. It brought back such bad memories for Jasper that sometimes she would have to sing him a lullaby for them to go away.

"Until..." Bella trails off, obviously waiting for Jasper to finish the sentence.

"Until I meet a certain immortal. Maria." Jasper comments.

"I hope you know what you just yourself into." Elvira grips Bella's shoulder tightly in her grasp and abandons the conversation to take refuge by Rose. "Does she always do this? Dig into matters that don't concern her?" Rose snorts and nods her head.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who sees it that way." She dryly states. Emmett rolls his eyes at the two, wrapping an arm around each of their waists.

"Retract your claws, kitties." He reprimands. "Bella has been a part of this family for three years."

"And for three years she has placed this family in mortal danger," Rose growls.

"There's been more cases such as this one?" Elvira snarls, not liking the fact that the mere human girl has placed the Cullens' into such dangers.

"We had two psychopathic vampires hunt us down so they could torture Bella. We killed one of them while the other continues to terrorize us now and then. Then we had to move away because Jasper almost attacked Bella. Edward tried killing himself. Alice and he fought the Volturi because they tried killing Bella. The Volturi wants her turned or else we all die. And now this, an army of newborns." Rose tells Elvira who looks highly alarmed.

"Such an unlucky mortal." She says. "The gods have not flipped the coin in her favor."

"I always forget about your weird religion and the coin-flipping concept." Emmett shakes his head. Elvira growls and Emmett realizes his mistake. He emits a loud scream, bolting away as she rushes after him while throwing rocks at his head. Rose pinches the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"Those two are children." She hisses. A rock comes flying towards her head.

"I heard that, din jävla kuk!"

••••

English Translation:

din jävla kuk - you damn cock