Hey everybody! I'm REALLY sorry about not being able to update!

My computer had to be totally taken apart and fixed! I hope you all aren't too mad at me.

I've been working on some new and old stories, so I hope you'll like them once they are posted!

It seems my mischief attacked me in a bad way. I only send out nice mischief! Why do I get bad back? Oh well, I suppose this was just the balance because I got to chat it up over the holidays with my grandmother and I received excellent scores from all of my classes!

Sorry again, but it was out of my hands!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Snowfire the Kitsune

Chapter 10: Breakdown

          "So, how long do you think it'll take?" Tris sighs to the scout who found her.

          "Not too much longer," the scout chuckles. "I am Hawksun."

          "Nice to meet you Hawksun," Tris smiles politely at the male hawkbrother.

          "Snowtail, I believe the little one is afrrraid of you," Flamewing, the gryphon, coughs lightly.

          "Yes," Snowtail sighs and sits farther away from the group.

          "Why is your sister afraid of Snowtail? All the children here love her!" Hawksun cocks his head much like a birds.

          "Weren't you listening, Hawksun? She was captured by a mage! A bloodpath! I understand how she could feel that way, why can't you?" Snowtail nearly bit Hawksun's head off.

          "The council is ready to receive you," Hawksun glances apologetically at Snowtail and Tris.

          "This council has decided that you are to be made a wingsib of…" the Head Elder's gaze waves over their motley band.

          "Excuse me," Tris interrupts the head elder. Everyone else in the meeting place freezes, "I do not mean to be rude or seem ungrateful, but I do not wish to accept the high honor of becoming your wingsib. I feel that I would be betraying my honored guardians, Firesong and Silverfox. You are a gracious people, but I can not accept the honor you wish to bestow upon both myself and my sister. My friends may speak for themselves, but as I am neither Valdemarian nor any other nationality that you would recognize, it may cause conflict within your vale. As for my sister, she is most likely tainted with a bit of bloodmagic from the mage that we rescued her from. There are people that I know will help her. My sister fears mages, and in so, would cause great distress in your vale as well. We only ask for enough food and water for us to make the rest of our journey safely to Haven."

          The council of elders and the others in the meeting place began to whisper in hushed tones. The Head Elder smiles, "You have presented your points. You will not be made a wingsib, but you and your sister shall be known as our friends and as our friends, you will always be welcomed here. Your companions have the choice to accept or not to accept becoming our wingsibs. You to are free to leave. The rest of you may speak."

Kira and Tris exit the meeting place with Hawksun and Flamewing. Hawksun smiles slightly, at the two girls behind him, "It saddens me to think that we have lost two worthy of the title 'wingsib'."

"We would not fit in well here, and your clan will receive some wingsibs," Tris sighs.

"But…" Hawksun begins, but is interrupted by some of his fellow scouts that decided to celebrate the coming of their new wingsibs.

"Flamewing, could you watch over Kira for a bit?" Tris pleads with the gryphon.

"Of course, as if she was one of my own," Flamewing eyes Tris with a tender look.

Tris takes off into the vale, away from the noise, away from all the people and hertasi… "Tris! Tris, I need to talk to you!" Taven races to catch up to her. "Few! I thought I'd never find you!"

"What is it, Taven?"

"Eiliona and I are going to remain here. Ash said she was staying here as well… I wanted to wish you luck on your way back to Haven and to give you this…" Taven hands her a golden ring with beautiful writing on it, but the language is not known to Tris. "I'm glad I met you."

"I'm glad I met you as well, Taven," Tris smiles, nods, and waves as he leaves her alone in a small clearing. Tris lets her tears fall, "Goodbye Taven, you were my first friend in a long while… I'll miss you. At least you'll have a family here…" Tris sinks into the grass beside a bolder, "I want to go home. Mommy… Daddy… Jenna… Star… I miss you all so much!"

Jorgen sighs as he walks out of the meeting place, "I just couldn't…"

Tris holds the ring close to her, remembering a song from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers;

"Where once was light

Now darkness falls

Where once was love

Love is no more

Don't say – goodbye

Don't say – I didn't try…

These tears we cry

Are falling rain

Of all the lies

You us

The hurt, the blame!

And we will weep

To be so alone

We are lost!

We can never go home

So in the end

I will be – what I will be

No loyal friend

Was ever there for me

Now we say – goodbye

We say – you didn't try…

These tears you cry

Have come too late

Take back the lies

The hurt, the blame!

And you will weep

When you face the end alone

You are lost!

You can never go home…"

"That was beautiful, Shiantris, but it was very sad," Jorgen enters the clearing, lured by Tris'

voice.

          "I'm not up to dealing with company right now, Jorgen," Tris hides her face in her hands.

          "I'm not company, I'm just a concerned friend," Jorgen walks calmly to Tris and kneels down in front of her, taking her hands away from her face and staring into her eyes.

          "I can't go home…" Tris chokes back a sob.

          "Why can you not?"

          "I'm not from your world…" Tris whispers.

          "Home is where your heart resides," Jorgen brings her into his arms.

          "I know you're right, but I miss them…" Tris weeps on his shoulder.

          "They'll always be close to you, you will never forget them," Jorgen soothes.

          "And then all of you are leaving me alone…"

          "You will have Kira, Cat, and me for company," Jorgen smiles as he feels her grip on him loosen.

          "Why? Don't you want to stay with Ashira?" Tris stares into his blue forget-me-not eyes framed by his dark, slightly curly, bangs.

          "Ashira is old enough to be on her own, she belongs here. She will be well cared for, but this is not the place for me," Jorgen frowns.

          "Are you sure you want to go with me back to Haven? Taven has been making mooncalf eyes at Ashira ever since she told him where to find a stream that he could wash..." Tris began, only to be silenced by Jorgen's finger.

          "I know he likes my sister, but here, she will have a handful of brothers, and she knows enough to take care of herself. I want to travel, it has always been my wish to do so," Jorgen grins as he takes his finger away from her mouth. Tris laughs happily as she hugs him tightly.