[BamaFan121s]

"Marcus and Caius became very decorated members of the church and together filled more of the church’s institutions than all of the other leaders combined. They were eventually rewarded for their success in helping to drive out the evil forces and declared Patron Saints, which as you know inspired celebration of the holiday known as St. Marcus Day."

My mind recalled images from my and Alice’s trip to Voltera years ago to save Edward. Images of the Piazza San Marco packed with individuals clad in deep red and the delightful squeals of children atop the shoulder of their parents filled my mind. It had indeed been a very happy day of celebration for them as they enjoyed the marvelous sunny day. They’d been blissfully unaware of my panic as I fought my way though them desperately trying to reach Edward. I shuddered at the memory, but did not interrupt him.

"As their success continued, tales of their triumph spread to other regions of the world. Near the turn of the century, they were called upon two individuals belonging to a distant group of vampires who wished to have them assist with a very different kind of problem." Carlisle paused, looking to Edward.

"Two individuals that you have met, Bella." Edward said. I looked at him quizzically, scanning my brain for the answer I must surely know. He turned to meet my eyes, providing the answer I couldn’t produce, "Two Romanian vampires by the names of Vladimir and Stefan."

I immediately pictured the two strange vampires who’d arrived at the Cullen household months prior. "But that doesn’t make any sense. What problem could vampires possibly be facing that they couldn’t handle on their own—that would require the involvement of humans?" I asked, truly puzzled.

"Werewovles," Carlisle answered.

My jaw dropped, images of Jacob and the other Quileutes presenting themselves in my thoughts.

Taking in my shocked expression, Carlisle guessed my angst and continued reassuringly, "Not in the sense of the shapeshifters you are familiar with Bella, but real werewolves."

He continued on, offering further explanation, "At one time there were an abundance of werewolves, mainly in the northern regions of Asia. As their numbers increased, so did their threat on the vampire community. You see, even in those days, it was crucial that we work hard to keep our existence from the public eye. Given that most of Europe was already engulfed in a religious uproar, it would not take much out of the ordinary for a vampire to attract suspicion. Werewolves are ruled by their animalistic nature, which does not include discretion. When their actions were such that they could not be ignored or explained by locals, suspicion and rumors accused not the werewolves, but those who’d been previously seen as no more than outcasts of society—the vampires. Granted, there was never any danger of physical harm to a vampire at the hand of a human, but all the same, constantly having to relocate every time you are questioned is extremely inconvenient, as you will likely come to experience for yourself in time.

"It was for this reason that the assistance of Marcus and Caius was sought out. Vladimir and Stefan been impressed by the way they’d presented their actions to the public in a manner that reassured and calmed them. They hoped that they would be able to do the same for them. The goal was to eradicate the werewolf population and to help ease the minds of society, thus erasing their suspicions of the vampires."

I felt like I was still missing some crucial connection to the equation, " But how would that really help them? Even if Marcus and Caius had experience in some areas, what threat would two humans really be to a bunch of werewolves?"

"Ah, you too realize the only flaw in their plan," Carlisle continued, "However, Vlad and Stefan never intended to for Marcus and Caius to begin this new crusade as humans. As we have discussed before, it is a popular theory that any traits we possessed as humans are strengthened in our immortality. Vladimir and Stefan hoped this would be the case with Marcus and Caius if they were transformed and, they were right. Marcus and Caius embraced the results of their transformation. As humans, they’d relished the power they’d had as high ranking officials of the church, but it was no comparison to what they possessed in their new existence.