Welcome Back

Today was Dragonaide day. Winter and May were both in a room together, waiting patiently. They were both dropping hints on what the other's gift was, Winter knew hers was a necklace, as did May know hers was a bracelet. Winter and May talked excitedly, both wondering what everyone was doing in the cave entrance. Neither of them knew.

Jake finally entered, "All ready, come on out!"

Winter and May both exchanged excited glances, then followed Jake into the cave entrance. It was littered with snow, making the cave look as if beautiful.

"Find your presents in the snow!" Galena boomed, "Try finding it in one try!" Winter and May looked at each other, smiling, "Last one to find it flies into the clouds!" they both shouted then began looking. It wasn't as easy as it looked; there were multiple lumps and bumps in the snow. Winter looked for the smallest hump in the area she was given.

"You do know this was totally uncalled for," Winter said to Galena.

"I agree, making us search for our gifts?" May said.

Galena smiled, "That's the point. Totally unexpected! Now let's see who can find theirs first!" Winter and May looked at each other, smiling.

"What do you say," Winter asked.

"You're on." May answered.

Both of them started digging in the snow, hurriedly trying to find their gift. Winter and May jumped up at the same time, staring at their beautiful gifts. Winter's was a necklace, like she wanted. It was silver, with a cross much like May's.

"May, are we matching?"

May turned to her, smiling, holding up her bracelet, "Aye, look at this!" They both laughed, helping each other put their piece on.

"You look beautiful, Winter."

Winter turned to see Jake staring at her. She felt the redness rise to her cheeks, "Jake, thank you. Thanks everyone. I love it."

"Likewise," May said turning her eyes around the room. May looked pretty in the jewelry, it shone off her like a star in a dark night; none of them had bathed at all lately. Winter spoke her mind, careful to leave out her speculation about the star and dark night.

"Thank you Winter," May said, blushing. "So do you."

"Yes, Winter. You do." Winter blinked, staring ahead at May. May wasn't looking at Winter anymore; she was staring wide-eyed at something to Winter's left. Winter shook her head, but May looked at her, terrified. She screamed and ran to Galena who was growling like mad.

"I don't get any welcome? I thought you'd be trilled to see me here at your birthday." Winter still couldn't move, she wasn't hearing right, she couldn't be. Shadow hadn't said a word sense a month ago. The cracking of snow under someone's feet wasn't real, Shadow's voice wasn't real. She was sleeping, she had to be. But Winter could hear Jake screaming at her to run, Galena growling. Winter turned, and then nearly tumbled back over nothing. Those red eyes staring at her, that red hair flat against his shoulders, that bloodthirsty smile wasn't real. None of this was real. None of it.

"Happy birthday, Winter," Shadow said smiling.

"You can't be here. You're not real." Winter curled up on the snow, hitting her head, "I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping. This is all a dream!"

"Winter! Get up! Run! Do something!" Jake's voice was cut of by the cold laughter, that same mocking laughter she always hated, she always feared. But Winter finally came to her senses, stood up, and ran. Shadow's black robe swifted by her in a blur, then stopped in front of her. She was trapped. May built up enough bravery to attack Shadow, jumping up, changing quickly into her surroundings; she was afraid. She snarled and almost hit him, but he turned and hit her square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her, then he hit her against her face, hitting her to the ground. May hit the ground human, and Shadow turned to the others.

"Anyone else?" Jake and Galena both attacked at the same time, revealing Katrina leading the sobbing, terrified Andrew away, telling him everything was going to be alright. Shadow moved almost unseen in the attack, Galena attacking with every part of his body, while Jake used his knife. Winter broke her trance and pulled out her own knife and jumped in. Galena was the first to be hit aside, unconscious. Winter didn't know how, all she saw was Galena hit the floor bleeding. Winter tried again and again, teary eyed, trying to hit Shadow. Trying to kill him finally. Then she hit him. Her knife hit his right shoulder, lodging itself in. He stumbled forward then took out the small knife. He wasn't bleeding; in fact, there was no blood on him or the knife. There wasn't even a mark where she had hit him. He paused and smiled at her, "Be patient Winter, I'll be with you shortly." Then Jake was thrown aside and Winter saw what happened. Jake had missed Shadow (again) and was hit on the side of the ribs, taken hold of by the leg, and swung over to May.

"Pity," Shadow said, holding Winter's wrist when she had tried to bring her fist down on him, "I thought you would be stronger by now."

He hit her in the chest, throwing her near the edge of the cliff. Winter forced herself up, gasping for air. She changed into a large blue dragon, spewing fire onto Shadow, trying to burn him to crisp. Shadow held up his hand, not pausing for a second. The fire almost hit him, but split, forming a fiery circle around Shadow. Winter tried ice, electricity, even attacking him with her claws. None worked, Winter just ended up standing on the edge of the cliff. She opened her wings and jumped off the cliff. She heard Shadow chuckle behind her, "If you insist," he said. Winter hear the scream of a monster, shrieking, anticipating the chase. She flew into the sky, flying for her life. This was the ultimate race. Winter dared a glance back, and what she saw horrified her. It was a large black monster, darkness falling off it, only wings and a giant jaw. Its jaw was lined with the sharpest teeth she had ever saw, all of them jagged, as if it had just finished ripping something apart. Winter saw May holding her chest at the cave entrance, crying. Winter wasn't about to go easy, though, no matter what Shadow thought. Winter dived into the forest seeking some shelter, perhaps able to disappear. Winter's dragon changed to the color of the forest. Something hit the ground near her. She looked to see a burning tree speed past her. Another tree caught on fire in front of her, she veered, hitting a tree and knocking it over. Winter tumbled enough for Shadow to hit her dead on with a ball of fire. Winter screamed, and then struggled to get off the ground. She could feel herself start to change human; she searched for a place to seek cover from the fire storm. She could only run; Shadow had stopped throwing fire at her, allowing her to change to full dragon again. She leapt into the air ahead of Shadow. Then the jaws where upon her. They burrowed deep into her scales, and she screamed, barely wiggling out of its grasp. She fell, fighting to stay conscious. She was barely able to open her wings before she hit the trees. She remembered the poster of her, he wanted her alive. He wouldn't let her die. She struggled to fly on, staggering in the sky, falling and lifting, narrowly able to stay away from Shadow. She held her right arm, where the teeth had bit her, it was bleeding now. Shadow was mocking her, laughing at her pain. A ball of fire burned her right wing and she fell. She spiraled down like a leaf from a tree, barely able to control her descent with one wing. She broke her fall with the branches of trees, which hit her with no mercy. The snow she landed heavily on was welcoming, pleading for her to stay and bleed in it. She refused and got to her feet.

Laughter reached her hidden ears. Winter let her wings droop behind her and held her right arm. She ran despite her pain, despite the hopeless situation. She heard something land behind her, and noticed no birds where making a sound. She ran harder, tears streaming from her eyes meeting the snow beneath her. Winter stumbled but didn't fall; she heard hooves hit the ground farther behind her. This time Winter stumbled and fell. Her ankle was twisted in a root. She pulled it out and struggled to run; it hurt to put any pressure on the ankle now. She didn't care, she ran as hard as she could, but it was hopeless, the snow had stopped coming down, it wouldn't cover her trail. Winter felt more tears burn her eyes and she cried out. But no one was going to help a bleeding dragon. No one was going to help a wanted person being pursued by the most deadly person on the planet. No one was there to help her; no one was there to comfort her. She was alone again. Alone. A hand knocking her off her feet broke into her thoughts. She stumbled, taking in a mouth full of snow. Shadow was circling her. Winter coughed, fighting back the tears, the pain. This was worse than her last birthday.

"So what? Fifteen now?" Shadow mocked, getting off his devil horse. The same very horse that had taken Winter a year ago. Winter couldn't speak; coughs burned her throat, her dinner from last night threatening to spew itself across the snow. Winter held her stomach.

"Am I going to have to teach you to answer me again?"

"No," Winter coughed, struggling to her knees. "My birthday . . . again."

Shadow chuckled, "I thought you'd be pleased with your gift."

"You were wrong." Winter heard herself say.

Shadow grabbed her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes. He moved her hair out of her face. "Welcome back, Winter. Now get on that horse."

"Never," Winter growled, throwing her red hair back into her face.

Shadow buried her face into the snow in one angry movement. He whistled, and howls came. Werewolves. A hand fingered her ragged clothes, pulling away the loose knitting that had hid Winter's scar. Shadow's dark finger nails opened it back up again, and Winter screamed, joining in with the werewolves' deathly chorus. Blood trailed down onto the snow. His hand took her neck, pulling her from the ground. "Get on the horse or else." he said, his eyes narrowed.

"No," Winter wasn't about to let Shadow win easily . . . again. He threw Winter into a tree, Winter struggling to her feet. Werewolves leaped from nowhere, taking Winter in their arms. They carried her like a skinned animal, her head facing down. Shadow could be heard getting on his horse, murmuring something to the captain of the werewolves. The monster laughed then growled and grunted to another wolf man; perhaps their language. Winter felt herself being set down, her wrists tied together. She looked at herself; she was human without knowing it. She kept her head lowered; she didn't want to stare into Shadow's bloody eyes again. Then her ropes were tied to Shadow's devil horse, the werewolves standing closely behind her in case she tried something. She'd be too tired to even think; none the less run with a swollen ankle, guards were unneeded. The black werewolf nodded to Shadow, and then joined his pack. Shadow kicked the horse into a slow trot, seeing if Winter could keep up. Winter tried her best to keep up, but her ankle kept her from doing anywhere close to a good job. Shadow stopped and turned to Winter who was struggling to get to her feet.

"Get someone to carry her." he growled to the nearest werewolf. He bowed, and then a large muscular werewolf picked her up, untying the rope from the devil horse. He gripped her tightly, holding her in his arms and ran with Shadow. She felt herself start to lose consciousness in his warm fur; she wasn't going to get any decent sleep in the prison. Winter let herself fade away from the world, letting herself fly without wings in her dreams of eternal happiness.
Where is your God now? Rang in her head. But this time she had an answer, right here.