Danu stopped for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

“Séamus was the first to step forward. A boy from a small village, the son of a farmer, of low birth and station, but within his breast was a heart as fierce as any storm, a heart that burned with a conviction as bright as the noon day sun.”

“As he touched the wolf, their minds became one, and the battle for control began. Séamus had to subdue the wolf, gain its trust and obedience.”

“If Séamus wasn’t strong enough, the wolf would overwhelm him, creating a monster in place of a savior. But if he overcame the wolf without gainings its trust, the wolf would not be committed to him and the cause, thus creating a being without the strength to stand against the threat.”

“Thankfully Séamus was up to the task.“

“He found that he couldn’t form words in his mind to communicate with the wolf, the very concept was foreign to it. As he struggled to find a way through the harsh, wild emotions streaming from the wolf, a way forward occurred to him.”

“Emotion.”

“The wolf was a creature of passion, instinct and emotion. To communicate with it, he must be as well. Centering himself Séamus opened his mind to the wolf, letting his emotions flow outward towards it, creating a bridge that connected them.”

“His strong feeling of duty to his clan, his love for Ireland itself, and his hope for the future washed over the wolf, calming it and tying them together with unbreakable bonds.”

“As each moment passed the bridge was infused with the magic of the druid and the goddess, translating their raw emotions into language that they could both understand.”

“After what seemed like an eternity of raw emotions being passed back and forth, the storm calmed in their minds, and a single word rang out in the quiet of Séamus' mind. Anluan. The wolf had shared his secret name with Séamus, sealing their fates.”

“Where the boy and wolf connected, silver fire erupted spreading from their point of contact to quickly envelop them both. In a moment the glen was illuminated with the brilliant silver flames. When the light finally faded, Anluan and Séamus where gone.”

“Standing in their place was a new being. The first of the were’s. Taller and leaner than before, with a fierceness that hinted at the wild wolf that now lived within.”

“Those gathered stood in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed. After a moment, Séamus spoke quietly into the night.”

“Anluan, come.” And he did.