Chapter 183: The Battle for the Mill

The whole of the circle roared and the whole of the it was the whole of the line and the whole of the it was finished.

And then the whole of the mill lit up.

It was not the ground and it was not the stones and it was not the circle. It was the mill and the whole of the mill was on fire and the whole of the fire was white.

“Wren,” Elias said. “The mill.”

I turned around.

The whole of the mill was burning and the whole of the it was not the fire of the lamp oil and the whole of it was not the fire of the wood. It was the whole of the ground and the whole of the ground was burning and the whole of the mill was the whole of the ground.

“The whole of the it is the mill,” I said.

“The whole of the it is the mill,” Elias said. “And the whole of the it is the whole of the line.”

I stood in the circle with Ilse in my arms.

“The whole of the it is not the mill,” I said. “The whole of the it is the whole of the line and the whole of the line is the whole of the ground and the whole of the ground is the whole of the it.” I put Ilse in June’s arms. “Take her to the east circle.”

“Wren,” June said.

“Take her to the east circle and do not stop for anything.”

June went.

And then the whole of the line went down the ridge.

We went down the ridge with the whole of the pack and the whole of the territories and the whole of the east and we came into the mill yard and the whole of the mill yard was full.

It was not the east. It was not the Council. It was the whole of the founders’ line and the whole of the founders’ line was the whole of the it.

And in the middle of the mill yard there was a wolf.

He was old and he had a gray beard and a hat and a stick and he was the founder’s heir and he was my father.

“Alpha,” Daniel said. “The whole of the it is not finished.”

I stood in the mill yard.

“The whole of the it is finished,” I said.

“The whole of the it is not finished,” Daniel said. “The whole of the it is the whole of the mill and the whole of the mill is the whole of the ground and the whole of the ground is the whole of the it.” He put his hand on his stick. “And the whole of the it is going to be answered for at the whole of the mill.”

He raised his hand.

And then the whole of the founders’ line came.

It was four thousand wolves and the whole of them were in the mill yard and the whole of them were silver and blades and the whole of them went for the line.

“Line,” I said. “Hold the mill.”

The whole of the line went into the mill yard and the whole of the pack went with them and the whole of the territories went with them and the whole of the east went with them and the whole of the mill yard was a war.

I went into the mill.

The whole of the mill was on fire and the whole of the fire was white and the whole of the it was the whole of the ground and the whole of the ground was the whole of the mill.

And in the middle of the mill there was a wolf.

He was young and he was thin and he had a shaved head and a gray coat and he was the Corrigan boy and he had a blade in his hand.

“Alpha,” he said. “The whole of the it is the mill.”

“The whole of the it is the mill,” I said.

“And the whole of the it is not the mill,” he said. “The whole of the it is the whole of the ground and the whole of the ground is the whole of the it.”

He raised the blade.

And then the whole of the mill went white.

It was the ground. It came up out of the mill floor and out of the whole of the mill and the whole of the mill was white.

And then it went out.

The Corrigan boy was on the floor of the mill and the blade was on the floor beside him and the whole of him was not moving.

I stood in the mill.

And then I heard it.

It was a cry. It was a small cry and it came from the whole of the mill and the whole of the it was the whole of the line.

I turned around.

There was a wolf standing in the mill door.

It was old and it had a white beard and a burn on his face and he was the keeper of the east and he had Ilse in his arms.

“Alpha,” he said. “The whole of the it is the child.”

I stood in the mill.

“The whole of the it is not the child,” I said.

“The whole of the it is the child,” the keeper of the east said. “And the whole of the it is going to be answered for at the whole of the mill.”

He put his hand on the child.

And then the whole of the mill went white.

It was the ground. It came up out of the mill floor and out of the whole of the mill and the whole of the it was white.

And then it went out.

The keeper of the east was on the floor and the child was in my arms and the whole of the it was the whole of the line.

I held her.

“The whole of the it is the child,” I said.

“The whole of the it is the child,” Elias said.

He was in the door of the mill with the whole of the line behind him and his face gray and his shirt torn.

“The whole of the it is the child,” he said. “And the whole of the it is the line and the whole of the line is the ground and the whole of the ground is the whole of the it.”

I stood in the mill with the child in my arms.

“The whole of the it is not finished,” I said.

“The whole of the it is not finished,” Elias said.

And then the whole of the mill went dark.

It was not the ground. It was the whole of the founders’ line. It was Daniel and the whole of the founders’ line and the whole of them were in the mill and the whole of them were silver and blades and the whole of them went for the child.

“Wren,” Elias said.

I turned around.

And then the whole of the mill went white.

It was my second wolf. It came up out of my chest and out of the whole of me and the whole of me was gold and the whole of me was the Alpha and the whole of me was the Luna and the whole of me was the whole of the line.

I was a wolf.

And the whole of the mill stopped.

And then Daniel said, “The whole of the it is not the wolf. The whole of the it is the whole of the line.”

He raised his hand.

And then the whole of the mill went dark.

It was not the ground. It was the whole of the founders’ line and the whole of the founders’ line was the whole of the mill and the whole of the mill was the whole of the it.

And then the whole of the founders’ line went for the child.

I went for the whole of the founders’ line.

And then the whole of the mill was a war.

I do not remember the whole of it. I remember the whole of the mill and the whole of the founders’ line and the whole of the it was silver and the whole of the it was blades. I remember the whole of the line coming into the mill and the whole of the pack and the whole of the territories and the whole of the east.

And I remember Elias.

He was in the middle of the mill with a length of chain in his hands and he was holding the gap where the founders’ line had broken through and he did not go back.

And then Daniel came through the gap.

He came with his stick in his hand and the whole of the stick was silver and the whole of it went for the child.

Elias stepped in front of him.

The stick came down and the whole of it went into his chest and he went down.

“Elias,” I said.

He was on the floor of the mill with the silver in his chest and his eyes open and he was not moving.

I went down on my knees beside him.

“Elias,” I said.

He did not answer.

And then the whole of the mill went quiet.

The whole of the founders’ line stopped and the whole of the line stopped and the whole of the mill was silent.

And then Daniel said, “The whole of the it is the mill. The whole of the mill is the whole of the it. And the whole of the it is going to be answered for at the whole of the mill.”

I sat on the floor of the mill with his head in my lap.

And then the ground answered.

It came up out of the mill floor and out of the whole of the mill and the whole of the founders’ line went down on their knees and the whole of the mill was white.

And then the ground spoke.

It said: The whole of the it is the line. The whole of the line is the ground. The whole of the ground is the territories. The whole of the it is not the mill.

And then it went out.

The mill was dark.

And then the light came back and the whole of the mill was silent and Daniel was on his knees on the floor and the whole of the founders’ line was on the floor.

And I sat on the floor of the mill with his head in my lap and the whole of the it was cold.

And then June said, “Wren. He is breathing.”

I looked up.

“What?” I said.

“He is breathing,” June said. “The whole of the it is in his chest and it did not go into the heart. He is breathing.”

I put my hand on his chest.

He was breathing.

And then the whole of the mill roared.