A/N My first Tortall story! : ) Yay.

I'm thinking the 'I' parts are probably the Great Mother Goddess, and 'she' is Daine.

Lyrics are in ""double quotations""

Read and review!Also, I'm going to county Spell Bowl this weekend- wish me luck! :)

Disclaimer: I write pitiful fanfiction to satisfy my want to write. Tamora Pierce satisfies my want to read. She will never hand over Tortall to a fanfiction writer. I am hoping, though.

(Begin 'Nobody's Home')

Daine ran down the road, her feet pounding the dust, petticoat flying out behind her. She collapsed, sobbing, into a cluster of bushes. Animals, whether wolves or chipmunks, ran to comfort her, furious at what happened and sorrowful at what their friend felt.

""I couldn't tell you

Why she felt that way""

Daine groped around for something to hug close, and found a wolf- Brokefang, her close friend. She held him close, tears of fury and sorrow streaming down her face. When she opened her eyes, pure anger and hate stared out, her human essence beaten down, People rage rising.

"Brokefang," she growled, staring into his eyes, sobs choking her growl, "Help me avenge Ma and Grandda."

Brokefang stared back, the concept of revenge and hate coming through. I will help you, Pack-Sister, he told her. The pack and you will avenge your kin.

""She felt it, everyday

And I couldn't help her

I just watched her make

The same mistakes again""

Daine was watching a cave that housed the bandits that had slain her kin. Gripping a knife in her fist, her eyes were burning with ferocity as she glared at the bandits drinking and eating Snowsdale's provisions.

Slinking closer, she leapt up, slamming the sentry down like a wolf and ripping the knife across his exposed throat. Stealing the flask of liquid- it smelled like wine or some type of liquor, she stuffed the cheese in her mouth and threw the flask against a tree, the contents spilling into the thick mast.

Battle, another wolf, tawny and fierce, leapt onto the other sentry to the cave that the two were 'guarding', or more standing in front of. The two sentries slain, and no other bandits to witness that, she and Battle slunk away in undergrowth, waiting for the next shift to come.

""What's wrong what's wrong now

Too many too many problems""

Daine slept in the pack den, not caring if the wolves snuggled against her or woke her up to sneak attack bandits. However, she was still slightly human- memories of Snowsdale...

And what it was to be 'human'.

But that was all gone later. Human? Didn't exist? Revenge? That was tangible.

""Don't know where she belongs

Where she belongs""

Daine, completely stripped of heavy clothes, lie in wait, blood running down her mouth. She had recently eaten a rabbit, though she only hungered for revenge now.

She an Brokefang watched the two bandits drink and laugh about their plunder. Hot anger spread through Daine, and she was about to coil up and leap forward when Brokefang nudged her and stopped Daine.

No, he murmured. Wait until they look away... prey will not know then...

Daine stirred- did Brokefang just think about what prey could do to prepare themselves?

Or was it just her that he had thought ahead?

But those thoughts quickly escaped Daine as the bandits looked away to see another bandit yelling for them- then they struck.

"She wants to go home

But nobody's home

That's where she hides

Broken inside"

Daine silently wept for her lost kin, but the burning flame kept her alive when she felt little or no hope.

We will wait, whispered Frostfur, her eyes gleaming. And when we are done waiting, they will cease to exist. She looked not at Daine weeping, but at the dark nighttime sky. We will wait.

Brokefang nudged Daine. We must kill tonight, he said. The bandits-

They'll die! She said to Brokefang. All of them!

""To dry her eyes

Broken inside""

The chief wolf nodded. You speak the truth, he said. Wolves mourn for kin- you are a wolf.

Daine never doubted his word for a second. Veralidaine Sarrasri was gone- Pack-Sister now claimed Daine's body.

The next morning, after six more bandits were slain, only five remained.

Daine was intent on finishing them all. They were her last link to what reminded her of kin, besides the pair of dolls in the knapsack hooked onto Cloud. The pony usually remained near the entrance of the wolf's den.

Sometimes, little bits of Snowsdale flowed into Daine's mind. Things like being Sarra's illegitimate child and regarded strange for having brown hair and looking like she was from nowhere near Galla made her a town outcast.

""Open your eyes

And look outside

Find the reason why

You've been rejected""

Daine soon lost those thoughts in a flurry of thoughts about the bandits. Losing her human essence meant losing her ability to organize her thoughts- she merely tossed out those she didn't need that exact second.

She forgot what it was to be human, and only thought of what it felt like to be a wolf.

""Now you can't find

What you've left behind""

Daine sometimes, when in her time when no one was around and she was alone, tried to remember what happened before Pack-sister came along and pushed Daine of Snowsdale away.

But nothing came up, no faces- except the face of a man with horns and her mother in dreams.

""She wants to go home

But nobody's home

That's where she lies

Broken inside

She lost inside, lost inside...""

""Her feelings she can't hide

Her dreams she can't find

She's losing her mind

She's can't find her place

She's losing her faith

She's falling behind

She's all over the place""

When all the bandits were slain, Daine fell back. No more bandits to kill... she finally lost all thoughts of revenge and memories of Daine of Snowsdale came.

Soon after, she had lost her essence again- and became a wolf.

""She wants to go home

But nobody's home

That's where she hides

Broken inside

To dry her tears

Broken inside!"

Daine slowly began to fade... would she remember being human again?

Would she ever come back?

""She's lost inside

Lost inside...""

(End Nobody's Home)

A/N I know a lot of that was lyrics- gomen! But I really wanted to do this... and I also have another Tortall fic in the works. Maybe a Circle of Magic one too.

Do you think this fic could also go to 'Bring me To Life' By Evenescence (I think)? It does seem like it, with Numair being the male singer and Daine being Amy Lee. Could it? ::thinks:: It's an awesome song... hmm... me thinkies about that.

Review please!