Darion watched Sladana and Poledra transform into their native form, and jumped away

from the wall right when there came a knocking sound on the door. Durnik ran into the

room startled, as Polgara, Solaria, and Satheria followed closely. Mardion stood next to his

brother as the knocking stopped.

Sladana, Poledra, and Shaam, the three wolves, walked around nervously.

Shaam stayed next to the door, sniffing, as Poledra hurried away to the back of the house.

Sladana wandered in and out of the rooms, her pure white fur looking golden in the firelight.

She returned to the main room where everyone else was and shimmered back into her human

form. Glancing about, she turned to Polgara.

"I think you should probably sit quiet with everyone else, Shaam and I will go out to inspect."

She turned and headed to the door when Polgara spoke up.

"Young lady, you are staying here, Durnik and I will go. We are sorcerer's and much older

than you."

Sladana looked over her shoulder, "I may not be a sorceress, but I am a warrior of my kin. I

know how to fight. And when I feel threatened, I do not like sitting around doing nothing."

Poledra entered the room in her human form and raised an eyebrow at Sladana.

Shaam walked up beside Sladana protectively.

Glancing down at her brother, Sladana said, "It's okay Shaam..." in their wolf language.

Polgara strode up to the stubborn wolf-girl. "I didn't mean it that way, Sladana."

"No-no I didn't take it that way! I was just saying what I felt." Sladana defended herself,

blushing when she caught Darion gazing deeply into her eyes, expressionless.

Catching her blush, Polgara glanced back at her son who quickly looked away.

Solaria and Satheria snickered but stopped when Poledra gave them a stern look.

"Let her go, Polgara." Poledra commanded, and so Polgara heeded.

Sladana gave a quick thankful smile and hurried out the door with Shaam at her heels.

Poledra slowly followed, "Stay close to each other-Polgara, if you leave and come after us."

She ended it there, and shut the door behind herself.

Mardion sighed, "I wish I was a wolf."

"What?" Durnik asked, making a face as he faced his son.

"Uh."

Satheria chuckled openly at Mardion's helpless face.

Solaria turned to her mother, "Sladana's not a sorceress?" she asked.

"No."

"But she can turn into a human!" Argued Polgara's eldest daughter.

Durnik turned to her, "So? That doesn't mean she's a sorceress."

"Then what is she?"

Everyone turned to Darion who had spoken.

"Why do you want to know?" Polgara asked.

Darion smiled, "Why DON'T I want to know?"

Mardion chuckled as Satheria cried, "What?!"

Polgara hushed them all down and made them sit down as Durnik glanced out the

window. Finding nothing, he pulled the curtains closed, but stayed standing. Polgara just

glared at the fire.

The weight of what danger Poledra, Sladana and Shaam were in made them all go quiet.

And frightened.

Durnik shivered as he whispered in Polgara's ear, "Something's not right, Pol."

Polgara neither nodded nor said anything, but a scent, not like burning firewood, but a

scent of blood drove her to the window. With shaking hands, she parted the curtains

Durnik had drawn, and gasped.

What stared back at her was the giant eye of a Demon Lord.

************************************************************************

Poledra smelt Sladana and Shaam's scent in the air and hurried.

She couldn't see them but she knew they were close.

And hiding.

She was in the form of a wolf, and crept along the trees. Running after Sladana and

Shaam had gotten her into the forest, and she knew, by the far distant scent of burning,

that they were close to the being that had knocked on the cottage door. Quickly and

quietly, she trotted towards the young wolves, when suddenly, she heard screams and a

large boom erupt from the cottage.

"No!" She cried.

Spinning around, she raced as fast as she could back to her family in the cottage. But as

she ran, she heard Shaam suddenly shriek in pain, and heard a loud, cruel laughter erupt

that made her insides freeze in terror.

She had heard that laughter before.

************************************************************************

Sladana growled, baring her sharp teeth when she saw Shaam get thrown away by an

unseen force. A sudden laughter echoed around her, and, as she hurried to her fallen

brother, she felt eyes of fire follow her. Fear and anger burned in her, as she checked on

Shaam.

He was unconscious, but alive.

"Shaam!" She called to him, nudging him with her nose, her wolf ears perked up,

listening to everything around her.

Shaam just lay there.

A twig suddenly snapped.

Spinning around, Sladana gazed at a sorceress.

Young and fair, she was. Her straight rich red hair cascaded down between her shoulders,

as one lock of her hair came over her shoulder by the wind. Her emerald eyes gazed at

Sladana in triumph, as her dark gown, made of shadows, wisped around her like smoke.

The young sorceress raised her hand, and Sladana suddenly shimmered into the form of

her human self. Raising an eyebrow, the young sorceress inspected Sladana's long dark

hair and eyes, light bronze skin, and flowing white robes.

"W-who are you?" Sladana asked.

"Who am I?" The sorceress repeated, "I am your opposite."