A/N Hey! I'm sorry I was planning on updating yesterday, but I got a little distracted. I found out I have to repeat the fourth grade (second last year before I graduate high school) I'm really disappointed, I worked so hard to make the year, but I just didn't make it. Teachers say it's because I missed about two months of school. Could be it, but I just think I didn't do enough... I don't know... At least I have another year of the school drama group! That's something!
Well only three days left, then I'm done with school for the summer! Woohoo!
Namvd: Yeah... define okay... You'll see... Thank you for your review.
Set: Well the sugar did it. I am a sugar addict, you shouldn't have done that! But you'll have to find out for yourself. Thanks for your review!
DiSCLAIMER: Seriously I need to remember to put that in the summary so I don't have to put it in every single chapter... I DO NOT OWN RA!
Chapter 10.
May.
This isn't right. I'm not in a cold, dark and horrible dungeon. And Gilan's here. I clearly remember… No I'm not going to think about that. I'm just dreaming. Yes that's it. It's just another dream. I will wake up soon.
"Gilan?" Why does my voice sound so weak? It didn't sound like this before in my dreams.
"Yes, May. I'm here. You're safe now. We're in Auraluen, you're back." He says.
"That's where you're wrong." I smile weakly at him. "You'll just go, like the other times. I don't blame you, you don't know. But I do, it's like any other time." I close my eyes and sigh. How can I be tired in a dream? I have to admit, this is far more realistic than the other dreams. Most times we're just talking in a field somewhere. Ususally it's just Gilan, sometimes Dylan. I think I saw Evanlyn, Horace and Will once. Lately it's mostly been Freya and Alex.
"May, don't sleep. Not yet. A healer is on his way. You have to stay awake!" Gilan says. I open my eyes and look at him. I let out a small laugh.
"Oh, Gilan. How can I sleep in a dream. I won't fall asleep. I'll just wake up in that cold and dark place." I laugh again, but soon it turns into coughing. The door opens and two people walk in. One is obviously a doctor the other one looks like Halt.
"Ha! I'm lucky tonight. Gilan and Halt." I say, still with a small smile on my face. "I really wish I'm not dreaming this time."
"Well you're not. You're lucky to be here young lady. If they would have found you a week later, you would have been dead." The docter says.
"I am already dead docter. Can't you see? I usually don't last this long. It can be the only logical reason." I tell the man. "And to be honest. I'm glad. I don't want to spend another second looking at that traiterous face of his. Funny though, if he'd ask me like a normal person I would probably have said yes to his deal." I sigh again. Even when I'm dead I get sleepy.
"Go to sleep May, we'll be here when you wake up." Gilan says. I smile and close my eyes. However I can't seem to fall asleep. Something keeps me awake. I can hear the entire conversation, and I don't mind. It's not like I can do something about it. Gilan explains what happened before Halt and the docter came in.
"What is going on?" Gilan says.
"It appears as if she's seeing things. It's all in her head. She was affraid to come back to the place you found her in, she made up a story she thinks is true. That she died. She has a fever, and that may cause the uncontrolled talking." Uncontrolled? I don't care what I say, there is a difference. "Those dreams she kept talking about, those are also a side effect to the fever. She imagines conversations with the people she trusts. She might have heard you speak to her when she was asleep, but that's about it. It should get better over time." The doctor finishes his story.
"How long until she realizes where she really is?" Halt says.
"It could be a day, it could be a month." The man says.
"Thank you, you can go now." Halt says. I can hear a door open and close, but after that I do fall asleep.
The next time I wake up, Halt is gone. Gilan is still here, and so is a man I've never seen before.
"And that's everything the doctor said?" The unknown man says.
"Yes, that's everything." Gilan says. Silently I sit up and look at the two men. Gilan is still in the same clothes as yesterday, the normal ranger's outfit without the cloak. The other man, is also in ranger clothes, but then with the cloak. The cowl is pulled up so I can't see his face.
"Oh hello." The man says.
"Hi." I hear my voice is already a little stronger than yesterday. Not much, but it's there.
"May you're up again." Gilan says.
"No, I'm or dreaming again, or still dead. I believe I already told you that." I tell them. "The last one makes more sense, considering I've never met you." I point at the other ranger in the chamber.
"No you haven't, but I've got news for you May. You're not dead. You won't get away from that guy this easily." The man jokes while pointing at Gilan. "I'm Crowley. Head of the ranger corps, and things. Nothing too serious."
"The man who refused to let Halt leave for Will and me." I tell him. "Halt told me in a dream about you."
"Yes that is me." Crowley says. "But those weren't dreams, they where actual stories told by Halt when you where sleeping."
"Somehow that's hard to believe. Let's see how this looks, shall we? After four months in a dark and annoyingly cold cell, after four months of mental and physical torture, which isn't very nice let me assure you that. I magically end up in a room at the auraluen castle. What would you think?" I ask Crowley. The silence that follows is nearly deafening.
"I'd think something was wrong too." Crowley admits. "It would only be logical." I nod and sit up straight.
"Is there something to eat in the realm of the dead?" I ask, it was supposed to be a serious question, but for some reason Gilan and Crowley both laugh.
"No, seriously, is there?" I ask again after they're done laughing at me.
"Yes, there is. I'll get you something." Gilan says. "Crowley wanted to talk to you anyway."
"Wait me? Why?" I ask. Gilan gets up and kisses my forehead.
"You'll find out soon enough" With that he's gone. Crowley gets a little closer and sits down in a chair.
"I wanted to know more about your abilities. I've only heard about it from others, and I want to know everything from you." He says after a while.
"That's it? You want to know about shapeshifters like me?" I say to him, when he nods I keep speaking.
"Well where should I start. There are three kinds of shapeshifters. Normal, halfbreeds and multishifters." Crowley stops me and cuts me off.
"Wait three kinds? What is different about each kind?" He asks.
"I was about to say that." I tell him. "The normal shapeshifters have one form. That form either reflects their personality or it's a family trait. My father and brother where both wolves. Then the halfbreeds can shift into two forms. Freya is one of those…"
"Freya is a shapeshifter? Really? Well what forms does she have?" Crowley jumps in again.
"I was about to tell you that, again. She has a wolf form and a leopard form. Then at last you have multishifters, like me, who have many different forms. Currently I have four. A fox, wolf, crow and panther."
"How come you're a multishifter and your family isn't? Is that even possible?" Crowley is really getting on my nerves here…
"Seriously you're worse than Will sometimes. And you're not even here." I tell him.
"Oh, sorry. I got carried away I guess." Crowley admits. "Please keep going."
"Okay then. I am a multishifter through a strange way of genetics I guess. My first form was a fox, a rare form, and considering neither of my parents' forms was that, mother was a deer and father a wolf as I said earlier. I sort of had to be or a halfbreed, or a multishifter. Freya trained me to control it, and call upon different forms. That's about everything about shapeshifters there is to know. Well I do know the story of the first shapeshifters, if you're interested." I finish my talk about what I am.
"A story about the first shapeshifters? That could be interesting. Later, what can you do when you're in an animal's form?" Crowley asks.
"Well, I can walk on four legs. As a bird I can fly. I can understand other animals and talk with them. I'm less obvious in a forest when I don't want to be seen. I can scare other people very well. And I'm a lot faster then." I sum up.
"Incredible." He says, he seems like he's lost. I let out a laugh.
"That's one way to put it. I have to admit, I was expecting something less… friendly." I say. "I guess being dead has it's perks." At this time Gilan returns with some bread and water.
"You didn't have much to eat the last few months, so you're not allowed anything with more taste than bread and water. Sorry May." He says while handing me the food.
"No it's okay. Food is food. You can't change that." I smile at him. I really wish I could believe this is real, but I can't. It just doesn't seem logical. There's a soft knock on the door, and soon after it opens. Freya, Alex, Horace and Evanlyn are there and enter the room.
"I think I'll just go now." Crowley says. "Thank you May for the explaination on shapeshifters. I think the corps can use it to their advantages." He gets up and walks away.
"So, how are you?" Alex asks after another long silence.
"Tired, hurt, betrayed, dead, hungry, did I mention tired?" I glare at him. He's the reason I'm dead. Alex nods and stares at the floor.
"I deserved that. I didn't have the chance to explain myself." He says.
"Well no one is stopping you now." I tell him. I can see Gilan raise an eyebrow at me. Maybe because this isn't really like me. I don't like this, believe me. But I don't want to get hurt again either.
"Listen, I'm sorry for what I've done. I never wanted you to get hurt. Yes I met you through an order from the master, but I genuenly like you. Everything was real I can assure you that. The master told me if I didn't do as I was told he would kill my entire family. I was just protecting them, and I'm really sorry. Can you ever forgive me? Please." Alex says.
"Oh, Alex I already did. I'm not very good with staying mad at people. Really I can't, not with you, not with anyone else in the room, not with anyone. Everyone deserves a second chance. Don't ruin it." I tell him with a smile. Alex grins and pulls me into a hug. Maybe this all isn't dream after all. Maybe it is real. No it's not, it can't be. Alex lets me go and I grab my head. Lean forward and close my eyes. This isn't real. Yes it is, no it's not. What is real? I don't know anymore, are they real? Or not? Where am I? What is this place? Who are here with me? Where is here?
"May!" Gilan gently grabs my shoulder and I look into his eyes.
"Where am I?" I ask him. "Gilan where am I?"
"Auraluen, we told you a while ago." He says a bit unsure.
"Auraluen, am I really in Auraluen? Is this not Hallasholm? Or a dream? Am I not dead then? Am I away from that dreadful place in Skandia? Please tell me this is real." I tell him panic rising in my chest.
"Yes you're here, we're here. It's all real." He puts his arms around me again and I put my head on his shoulder. "You're here." He keeps repeating it, but I don't answer. I have nothing left to say. What do you tell someone you haven't seen in a little over a year.
Hi, nice to see you. It's been a while. Something like that? No, not to him, not to them.
"I've missed you." I eventually say.
"I know, I've missed you too." Gilan says while stroking my hair.
"Do you think we should… ehm go?" I hear Horace silently ask Evanlyn.
"No you don't have to. You came here for a reason. What is it?" I ask them after I let go of Gilan.
"Well, my father wanted to thank Horace, Will and you for bringing me back home. So we came to see how you're doing. And when you'll be able to leave this room." Evanlyn says.
"Oh, I don't knwo when I can leave the room." I admit to her. I never really payed attention to that docter.
"Oh he said you could leave when you can walk." Gilan tells me. I nod and look at Evanlyn. I shrug and sit up again.
"Let's try then." I say to no one in particular. I swing my legs off the bed and lightly lean on it. I carefully stand up. I take a step and fall. Luckily Gilan catches me.
"That's a no I think." He says.
"No I'm fine let me try again." I tell him. I let go of Gilan and take another step. I don't fall this time so I take another.
"See, I told you I'm fine." I say to everyone. I sit back down on the bed. "Though I am tired."
"Then sleep. We won't go anywhere." Freya says. I nod and lie down. I cose my eyes and almost immediatly I fall asleep.
A/N So she's back... again... Oh look I painted my hair! It's bright pink with purple tips! and I love it! Believe me it's not as weird as it sounds!
Please review! It would make my day!