Rei looked at Aislinn in surprise, having never realized that the two knew each other.

Gwen seemed to feel the same. "Do I know you?" She asked bluntly, not sure how this naked she-wolf could recognize her in her abominable snowman suit. She was wearing a talisman to hide her scent, so the girl couldn't recognize her that way...So how?

"Gwen" Rei said in a chastising, yet warning tone. She realized that if Gwen didn't actually know Aislinn, then perhaps it was a dream that Aislinn recognized her from.

Rei turned to Aislinn, who was still staring at Gwen. "Did you see her in a dream? Is that how you recognize her?" She asked, her voice gentle and calm now.

Aislinn nodded. "I recognize her voice...And that" she said, pointing at Gwen's hand.

"Tsk" Gwen said, shaking her head as she grabbed her gloves from her pockets. "Leave my poor hands alone, little she-wolf" she said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I'm here to observe you, not the other way around."

Rei and Ryan exchanged a confused look, not sure what Aislinn had been pointing at exactly. Since Gwen had carried on, though, Rei was quick to move past the confusion. "What do you need in order to help her?" She asked, wanting to help in any way she could.

"Nothing" Gwen said with a shrug. "I have all I need right here...In fact, I have more than I need. Here" she added, scooping up the magically dried clothes of the wolves. She tossed Ryan his pants, his shirt to Rei, and Aislinn's clothes were returned as well. "Too much nudity, for one, and too many werewolves in my safe space, for another. Rei, take your son and leave us for now" she instructed, making a shooing motion with one of her mittened hands.

Ryan opened his mouth to argue, but Rei was quick to grab his arm and tug him in the direction she was headed. "Let's go, Ryan, I promise we can trust her. She will be able to help more than anyone but the Moon Goddess herself. We just need to follow her instructions."

Ryan glared a moment longer at Gwen, who in response just stared him down. He let out a huff instead of the words of warning he wanted to say, knowing his mother would just get upset with him. Another tug from Rei was enough to make him follow her.

Once Rei and Ryan had left the magical space that Gwen had opened, she turned on Aislinn immediately. "You can really see this?!" She demanded, ripping her mitten from her hand before shoving said hand in Aislinn's face.

Aislinn raised an eyebrow, the witch's sudden question surprising her. She looked at the witch's hand, but frowned since there was no tattoo. "No...It's on your other hand" she stated in confusion.

Gwen let out a strange laugh, and then began pacing back and forth for a moment. She was muttering to herself in equal parts excitement and distress.

Aislinn watched for a moment, a bit worried about the witch. After another moment, she cleared her throat to get the witch's attention; but, it did nothing to stop the woman's fervent pacing. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she shouted "Excuse me!"

Gwen stopped in her tracks, finally startled from her own little world. "Ah, sorry. It's just...Well,  come sit by the fire. We have lots to discuss" she said, walking over to sit down. She patted the ground beside her as an invitation, adding "come, sit."

Aislinn was confused, intrigued, curious and wary all at once. Still, her curiosity was overpowering her caution, so she joined Gwen as instructed.

Gwen waited for Aislinn to be comfortably seated, then pulled off her other glove and held her hand out. "What do you see?" She asked.

Aislinn looked at her hand, and just like before, she saw the tattoo that read "Veritas". So, that's what she gave as her one word answer.

Gwen nodded, and although her face was still obstructed by her puffy coat, her eyes suggested she was grinning. "Excellent" she said, reaching in her pocket and pulling out a round object, about an inch in diameter. If it wasn't for the fact that it was made of silver, it could have been a smooth, simple rock.

"Rei tells me that you're immune to silver" she said bluntly. "And that you haven't shifted yet. you should be seventeen now, based on everything you know, right?"

Aislinn's eyes widened in surprise. Rei would tell her secrets to a witch, of all people?! She was shocked, and a bit hurt - not to mention, confused. When did Rei have time to relay all of this information? And thinking of that, Aislinn wondered how the witch had found them, and how she knew when to find them. This had her raising her guard a bit.

"How do you know that?" Aislinn demanded.

"I told you, Rei told me" Gwen answered matter of factly.

"That's not possible. She's been with us, she hasn't left long enough to talk to you!" Aislinn insisted.

"Well, that's probably true. I didn't say she told me in person" Gwen said, causing poor Aislinn even more confusion. Fortunately, Gwen could recognize the look on her face, so she elaborated by digging out a journal that Aislinn recognized as the one that Rei had been writing in quite a bit recently.

"So you read her journal?!" Aislinn asked incredulously.

Gwen sighed, a bit surprised that Rei had never told Aislinn about her journal. "This is my book, and Rei has a matching one. We write in our respective books, and the other can see what's written. I made them for us years ago, so we could stay in touch after I made a decision that Rei wasn't...Uh...A big fan of...She was worried I'd get myself killed, and this was my way of letting her know I was alright" she explained with a shrug.

"Okay...I guess that makes sense" Aislinn conceded hesitantly, not sure if she had the knowledge to argue it either way. "Why does Rei think you'll be able to help me?"

Gwen fell silent, looking into the fire with a heavy sadness in her eyes. The crackling fire filled the silence between them until Gwen was ready to speak again. When she did, Aislinn understood the sadness in her eyes.

"My mom was one of the most amazing witches in the world...She was murdered when I was sixteen. I'd been studying under her for a few years at that point, so I know a few techniques and spells that should have died with her...Rei, and now you, are the only ones who know. If the wrong people knew, I'd probably be murdered too" she explained with a heavy sigh. "One day, I'll find out who murdered her, and get justice for her."

"I'm so sorry" Aislinn whispered, heartbroken for the witch, since she knew how painful it was to lose one's mother.

"Thanks" Gwen said, sighing again then shaking her head. "But Rei knows I've wanted to follow in mom's footsteps, so she thinks I'm all powerful or something" she explained, grabbing Aislinn's hand to plop the silver stone into her palm.

"So you probably can't help me?" Aislinn asked, looking at the stone as her confusion returned, along with a heavy sense of disappointment.

Gwen chuckled, placing her tattooed hand over Aislinn's so both of their palms were touching the silver stone. "I probably wouldn't have been able to, honestly; but...Fate has intervened. Now close your eyes..."

Confused, but wanting answers, Aislinn obeyed. And then, she heard Gwen hiss out that one word.

"Veritas!"