A/N. I've got another chapter ready for you! I completely forgot to respond to reviews last chapter... Sorry. Also, I made a mistake in chapter 5 I believe. The bird isn't a red hawkish creature, but a raven or a crow. I changed it, and now it's good.

Geeky43: You don't have to.

ScbaStv: Thank you.

Something like me: It's okay, and when I reread it, I was like. Hmm that's true. And I don't even know everything about shapeshifting yet, so that makes two of us.
Exactly. You'll find more about him this chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Rangers Apprentice.

Chapter 7.

May.

It's been about five months since I started training with Freya. I've been getting a lot of control over my shifting, but I haven't found the feline from as Freya said I would have. It frustrates me, and I'm training whenever I've got the chance.

Every two days, I play at the Inn Alex works in. The first few weeks Freya, and usually Erak would come too. I think they're secretly dating, but I'm not sure. It would be good for them though. They fit well together. After a few weeks, I was allowed to go alone. Alex and I would often stay to talk, we became friends very soon after. His hatriot towards rangers still bothers me, but I don't mention it. I don't get lost anymore and I saw Will a few times on my way to the marketplace. He would always wave at me, and sometimes we'd talk, but lately I haven't seen him. Maybe he got transferred inside.

Tonight's another music night. I'm done with all the housework and I'm in the back, training with my dual swords. I started training on my own a few weeks ago. Freya said I was already getting better than her. I'm also allowed to keep practising my ranger skills. I never thought anything would turn out like this. I still think of home, and Gilan every day. But I'll go back. Eventually, I'll go back. My mind eventually wanders back to Will. Maybe I should go and find him…

I'm standing in front of the fence where I saw Will last time. An other slave passes and I stop him.

"Do you, by any chance know Will?" I ask him.

"Will?" He asks.

"Yeah, short. Shaggy brown hair. Usually smiles even though he's in this hell." I explain.

"Oh him. The warm weed boy. He's at the well." The man points to a well where Will's pushing a bar around to stop the water from freezing. I thank the man and make my way over to Will.

"Hey, haven't seen you in a while." I tell him. No response. "Will?" Again no response.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I ask him. "WILL." I shake him by his shoulders and look into hid eyes. Unseeing nearly dead eyes stare back.

"Oh, he won't talk to you." A male voice from behind says. "He's on warmweed. That stuff'll kill you inside. It's like he lost his humanity." I stare at the man in shock. I have to do something about this. I quickly shift into a crow and fly back to Freya's. I'm well out of earshot to hear the man's gasp of shock.

"May?" Freya calls out. I land and shift back. She's standing in the doorway.

"Yes?" I ask her.

"we need to talk, can you please come inside for a while?" She asks. I nod. I wipe the sweat of my face and follow her inside. To my surprise Erak's sitting on the table.

"Sit down dear." She started calling me that about two months ago. I do so and look at the two.

"What's going on?" I ask carefully.

"It's about Will…" Erak starts.

"I saw him today. It's not good, is it?" I ask him.

"We have to get him out of there. Soon." I nod.

"How can I help." I immediatly say.

"I knew you'd ask that. Now here's the plan…"

The next night I'm standing where I should be standing. Juat around the corner where Will and Evanlyn have to work. In about ten minutes, they'll be here. If everything goes to plan. I'm supposed to lead them through the city and do the pony at the bginning of the trail. I have to go with them to the hunting cabin, and then come back here. As much as I want to just run off with them, I also want to control my ability. I'm not done yet. And When I am, I will go and look for them.

Just a moment later I see two figures coming towards me. As soon as I recognize one as Evanlyn I rush forward and help her with Will. I nod to her, but don't speak. It's too dangerous. No one should hear us. I lead them through the small streets, half dragging Will with me. He's really out of it.

He doesn't see, yet his eyes are open. He doesn't hear, or at least responds to anything told to him. He doesn't really walk, it's more like doddering. When we're finally out of the city and near the pony. I speak.

"Evanlyn thank god you're okay." I tell the small blonde. "I wish I could say the same thing about Will. I should've put up a fight to stay with you. I should have never left you."

"No you shouldn't." She replies coldly. "Look let's just get to that cabin, and you can keep going with your great life full of magic and all that kind of damned things." I narrow my eyes at her as I put Will on the horse.

"Excuse me? My great life? I had to give up everything to come here. I left people behind too, in Auraluen. People I love. How would you know. You're the kings little girl. Nothing more than a spoiled brat who thought it would be fun to go on an adventure." I spit at her. I take the reighns of the horse and lead it to the trail. It starts to snow. Great, that'll cover our tracks.

"Now if you excuse me, I'm going to help a friend." I tell her over my shoulder.

"That's not fair." Evanlyn shrieks. "All you had to leave behind is Gilan." My heart nearly breaks at the mention of his name. "And everything you got in return, I'd say you've got it pretty good." I grit my teeth and stop dead in my tracks.

"Don't say another word, or I might do something I regret." I tell her.

"What would you know. I had to leave behind my father. The only family I had left. Yours is probably just waiting for you to return." That's it, I've had enough.

"You have no idea what you just said. Everyone in my family is dead. Killed. Because we're different. We where haunted like wild animals, only to be slaughtered as beasts. I lost everything before I was fifteen. When Gilan found me, he gave me something. A new family. The rangers. Halt, Will, Hell I don't even mind Horace. So yes my family is waiting for me. But I don't think they're going to be happy if I don't come back with Will. So if you would please swallow your hurt pride, or take it out on someone else, because I'm trying to help a friend here." After that she's qiet.

I lead the pony through the storm. I've flown here before. Yesterday, so I'd know where to go. We come to a crossroad and I take a left.

"Erak told us to take the right." Evanly says.

"I've flown here before. This is shorter." I tell her shortly.

"Flown?" She asks.

"Yes. Appearantly I'm a rare multishifter who can take multiple forms. One of them is a crow like bird." I tell her. My voice is still cold, but not as harsh as it used to be.

"Oh." She says. It's followed by a long silence. "Sounds nice. What else can you do?" She eventually says.

"Well, I have a fox form, a wolf one and the crow. Lady Freya is almost certain I have a feline from too, but I can't seem to call upon that one." I say.

"Maybe you're just too worried." She says. "I mean, it could be stress. You didn't know what was going on with us, and you miss your home." I nod several times.

"Could be. Thanks."

"Anytime." With that we walk in silence again. I glance at Will and see he's shivering in the saddle. I take off my cloak and put it around him.

"We're going to have to stop for the night. The storm is getting too harsh." I tell her. I lead the pony off the trail and settle between two trees a few metres away from the path. I take Will off of the pony and make it lie down. I put Will against the belly of the creature.

"That's only going to keep him warm." I mutter to myself. "Evanlyn? Don't freak out. I'm going to morph into my wolf form, to keep you warm. Just curl up and get some sleep." The younger girl nods and I shift. Soon I'm on four legs. I lie down next to the horse and feel Evanlyn curl up besides me.

I stay awake the entire night. Watching over the other two. Eventually when the sky clears up, I can see the stars. They're beautiful up here. They seem to shine brighter than they usually do. The moon is full and every cloud has gone away. I've been staring at the stars for a long time, when the first beams of the morning light wipe them away. I move my body so I wake Evanlyn up. She yawns and looks at me.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" She asks me. I shake my head and nudge her with it, signaling her to stand. She does so and so do I. I shake the snow out of my fur and pick up Will. I fling him on my back and signal Evanlyn to get the pony. She gets on it without a word an we're on our way again.

We reach the cabin in the late afternoon. I'm still carrying Will, and Evanlyn is still on the pony. I carry Will inside, still in my wolf form, and put him next to the fireplace. I shift back to human and light the fire. I let out a yawn and curl up next to the fire in my fox form. five minutes won't hurt me. Right?

"May wake up. It's morning again." I feel Evanlyns foot in my fibs. I jump up and shift to human.

"What!? Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask her.

"You looked so cute next to the fire. You know Will was hanging onto you like his life depends on it." She said. I nod, and walk outside.

"I must get going." I tell her. "I'll come back every now and then, when I have time."

"I'm sorry for all the things I said yesterday." Evanlyn says. "I was angry for not seeing you so long."

"It's okay. Forgive and forget?" I offer her my hand. She takes it and pulls me into a hug.

"Untill next time." She says.

"Untill next time." I copy her words. I shift into the crow and spread my wings. I take off and fly down the trail. I've gotten used to the flying by now. I really like it. It makes me feel free. Soon enough I land in Freya's yard. I run inside and find her in the library.

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep in the cabin." I explain to her.

"That's okay dear. Are they safe?" I nod. "Good. Now, I do believe Alex came here looking for you. You should see him after you're done here with the housework. He said he'd be at your usual spot." I nod again and excuse myself. I do my chores in silence, and make sure I'm done early.

In the early afternoon, just after dinner, I walk inside the tavern. Soon I spot Alex and walk over to him.

"Hi." I greet him. "You wanted to meet?"

"Yes. But now's not a good time. I've got a lot of guests today. Can you come back tomorrow? You where going to play then anyway." He says. I shrug and tell him I'd be there early. I excuse myself and head back to Freya.

"I want to try for the feline again tomorrow." I tell her when I see her in the hallway. She nods and I go back to my room. As soon as I make contact with the bed I fall asleep. It's been a long day.

A few weeks later Freya and I are meditating in the back yard. Nothing important has happened since. Alex and I talked, but he didn't bring up the thing he wanted to talk about in the first place. I've been to Will and Evanlyn a few times, but there isn't any difference yet. Will seems to be getting better, but it's taking a long time. It's in the late afternoon, and the sun is already setting.

"Now try again. Feline's are a bit tricky. For every one it's a different emotion." Freya says. I nod and close my eyes. Ususally when I try this I turn out to shift into any of my other forms. Now I focus on an emotion I haven't tried before. Determination. I let out a breath and open my eyes. I see Freya staring at me with a smile.

"Looks like you've finally figured it out." She says. She reaches back and holds up a small mirror. I look at my reflection and smile. It's strange to see a panther smile, but I am. I'm a pitch black panther with blood red eyes. I shift back and grin at Freya.

"Looks like you've finally mastered your forms." Freya says to me. I nod and grin even wider.

"And you know what I've promised you, right?" I nod again.

"I can go home!" I tell her. Now Freya nods.

"How about you stay here at my place for another week. You can pack, and plan your way. Decide what you want to do, and where you want to go." She says.

"Sounds good. But can I go the the Inn tonight? I want to tell Alex." I tell her.

"I expected you'd want that. Go dear, be home before midnight." She says with a smile. I jump up and run away. I can't wait to go back. I'll go to Will and Evanlyn first, and when Will's better we can go home together. I'm running through the narrow streets and soon I'm in front of the tavern Alex and I always meet. I get inside and hang up my cloak. I spot Alex at the bar and join him.

"On your break?" I ask him. He jumps up and turns towards me.

"AH May, him many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up upon me!" He says.

"A lot more times, because I'm not going to stop." I tell him with a grin. "But guess what!" A long silence follows as I'm waiting for his answer.

"You've finally forgotten the mystery guy you've got in Auraulen and won't tell me about, and you're ready to go out with someone?" Alex eventually says with a smirk. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"You and I both know that's not going to happen. No I'm finally done with my trainng. I can go home!" I tell him in glee. Another long silence follows as Alex stares at me in shock.

"What? Aren't you happy for me? You can come home with me if you want?" I tell him. My smile falters as I meet silence once again.

"Oh, that's… Great May. Really great. I'm happy for you." Alex tells me.

"I can hear your voice you know. You're not happy at all. Why? What's going on?" I ask him

"Not here." He grabs my hand and pulls me outside. Outside it's so cold I can see my own breath.

"What's this about?" I ask him.

"Look I don't want to do this, but I kind of don't have a choice. I thougth I would have more time, but I don't. Please don't hate me after this." Alex says after a while.

"What are you tal-" Without any notice, Alex hits me in the head with a piece of wood he was hiding next to the door. The last thing I see is the floor coming to me fast. Then everything goes black once again.

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