As with Africa, they were surrounded by mist for a few minutes, then the boat hit shore and the mist cleared. Kyra peered around and noticed they were surrounded by a conifer forest.
We're in the Northwest. she realized. The only problem was that the Northwest consisted of four states, which one were they in? Mountains loomed over the forest, they were the Rockies, the Cascades had only a few tall mountains, these were all the same size. They were either in Montana or the eastern edge of Utah.
Fang listened intently, a solitary wolf howl sounded through the thick forest. Kyra knew that wolf when it was a pup. She knew the forest around her. they had landed right in the middle of her tribe's reservation! She quickly used the amulet to change to human form, so the tribe would know her. Fang returned the howl, sounding like a real wolf. Kyra smiled, the wolf sounded again, it was a friendly howl, Fang wanted no territory and did no hunting. Kyra whistled a howl-like sound and the wolf came out of the shadows, wagging its tail, it was a well grown wolf. She was just a pup when Kyra had left with young Cana and Lupus to New York for the final time. She belonged to the tribe now, Kyra could tell from the elk-hide collar around her neck. She was gorgeous, pure white with a small patch of gray on the top of her head and a black saddlepatch on her back.
"Mali!" a voice called, the wolf went to her caller immediately. She led the native boy to Kyra and her friends, who had been watching with curiosity and amazement. The teenager boy was amazed to see her again. She wasn't happy to see him. He was her cousin, the son of the chief, and Kyra hated him almost as much as she hated Micheal. The feeling was almost totally mutual.
"Lenoya, I'm surprised you're still alive. Why aren't you off fighting a battle or doing something else that could get you killed?" Kyra asked, annoyed at his presence.
"I could say the same to you, Kyra, you weren't exactly a perfectly behaved child, even at seven you ran around the forest like you were one of the wolves." Lenoya answered. Kyra stood up quickly, challenging him.
"Kyra! Calm down." Brooklyn ordered.
"Jeez! What is that thing?" Lenoya asked, frantically backing into a tree.
"That thing is my friend." Kyra answered calmly, "You chicken." she added quickly with a smirk.
"Kyra." Angela warned, "It's not like this guy's done anything, you can't just throw insults at him."
"Don't bet on that, you'd lose. This guy put me through more in a week than Micheal and Demona have combined since I've known them." Kyra replied.
"Only because you deserved it, you little brat." Lenoya snapped.
"No one deserves nearly getting killed on their horse because of a stupid rubber snake you put in the corral, you jerk!" Kyra said angrily.
"You nearly killed her?" Angela asked.
"No, she just didn't keep good control of that yearling. Besides she can't prove I put that snake in the corral." Lenoya answered.
"I can so prove it, it was in your hut the next day, I saw it!" Kyra exclaimed.
"Well, it's obvious these two don't get along too well." Broadway said.
"We haven't since before she could talk." Lenoya replied, "Her first word was assumed to be wolf because it was the first word anyone heard, but her real first word was jerk."
"And I said it right to his face!" Kyra added proudly. Lenoya scowled and turned away.
Brooklyn shook his head, he knew Kyra was being herself, but he was hoping Kyra would be a little nicer to her cousin. "Well, since we're in your tribe's land, you should go see them." he told Kyra.
"All right! I can't wait to see Satina." Kyra called and jumped out of the boat. Fang followed. "You guys coming? I'm sure they'd like to see who's been taking care of me for the past two-and-a-half years."
Brooklyn agreed to join her, but he and the others would not show themselves until it was safe. Kyra tried to tell him that the chief wouldn't mind them, but he wouldn't have it. When Kyra got to the edge of the tribal village, Brooklyn and Broadway hid behind a tree and Lex went behind a bush. Kyra let out a long cry that sounded like a wolf howl, some villagers looked up at the top of the hill, they cried in joy and celebration. Kyra ran down and stopped in the middle of the group of villagers as they hugged her and welcomed her back, Kyra looked around and said something in her native language.
A woman answered and pointed to a well decorated hut, Kyra ran over to it and went right in without calling to the
one inside. Brooklyn peered around the tree in curiosity, wondering who was in the hut with her.
Soon after, Kyra came out with a tall man, he looked at the girl with fondness. Brooklyn could tell he was a relative of hers.
The man spoke, "Our lost princess has returned!"
"Princess?" Angela asked.
"Where are your friends?" The chief asked Kyra.
"Over there, but they're kind of different." Kyra answered reluctantly.
"You have a reputation of exaggerating, they can't be that much different." The chief said to the girl.
"Well, I'll show you, but please, everyone remember, they're very kind and they've saved my life hundreds of times." Kyra answered, "Come on down here, guys." she called to the top of the hill.
The gargoyles came down the hill slowly. They stopped by the edge of the circle of villagers that had accumulated around Kyra and the chief. "Come on, let 'em in." Kyra said to a teen boy. He stepped aside and the gargoyles came over. Fang came over and jumped in Kyra's arms again.
"Well, Kyrana, when you said your friends were different, you weren't exaggerating." The chief said, amazed.
"For once." Lenoya remarked. Kyra snapped her head over to him in anger.
"Lenoya, keep your mouth closed if compliments cannot be released from it." The chief quickly reprimanded. Kyra smiled at her cruel cousin and he turned away. "No matter how different Kyrana's friends are, they are her friends, and as she has told me, they have saved her many times. Without them, she may not be standing here today." he paused and looked at Kyra, "What are your friends' names Kyrana?"
"She's Angela, the litle one's Lex, that's Broadway and the hornhead is Brooklyn." Kyra answered. The villagers gasped and backed away a few paces. "What's wrong Uncle White Feather?"
"Uncle?" Angela asked rhetorically, "That explains the princess thing."
"A young white man with dark hair has warned us of your friends." White Feather answered.
"Can you describe him?" Kyra asked. Her uncle told her exactly what the young man looked and sounded like.
"Was his name Micheal?" Angela asked
"Yes, how did you know?" White Feather answered.
"He's the threat to us, not the other way around, he's been trying to capture me." Kyra replied, "Please believe me, my friends mean no harm to you. It is Micheal who means to harm them."
"I believe you, child, but my people are frightened, they do not know who to believe." White Feather explained, "It would take a miracle to keep your friends from being turned in, my people will not listen to me in this kind of situation." Suddenly, a woman ran through the circle of villagers to the chief, crying out something in Kutenai.
"What's she saying, Kyra?" Broadway asked.
"A child fell into the river, and she can't swim!" Kyra exclaimed.
"Oh no, come on, let's see if we can help, guys." Angela said. The gargoyles went off immediately, Kyra ran after them and Fang stayed to keep watch on the village.
When the villagers got to the river, they noticed the little girl had made it to a rock in the center of the river, but it was too deep and fast for any of them to get to her.
"Brook, can you can get to her?" Kyra asked.
"I can try, but I can't promise anything, the river looks very fast." Brooklyn replied. He stepped in the water to test the speed. It seemed safe, so he went over to the toddler, he got to her with ease and lifted her onto his shoulders. The villagers cheered as Brooklyn brought the toddler over to shore and gave her to her mother.
"Good work, you saved her." Angela congratulated.
"That river isn't as fast as it looks." he replied, "There were some rough spots though, I thought I wouldn't make it."
"Well you did, thank goodness." Kyra sighed, "I'd hate to lose you, you're the best friend I could ever have. But you just saved a child. The villagers can't turn you in now, it's against tribal law."
"Thank you." The mother said after she calmed the young girl.
"It seems you proven your worth to the villagers, you and the others don't have worry now." White Feather told Brooklyn, "If Micheal comes by, we'll tell him you never came here, and if he sees you and tries to take you, my warriors will aid in the battle."
"Thank you, White Feather, but I'm sure we can handle Micheal." Brooklyn replied.
"I can handle him myself!" Kyra laughed.
"Unless he brought the stolen Steel Clan, or Demona." Angela reminded her.
"Or Phalog follows." Broadway added.
"I take it you don't like this Phalog." White Feather replied.
"He tried to get me to join his clan, but I want to be with my friends." Kyra explained.
"How could you join his clan?" White Feather asked.
"Oh boy, now I have to explain the whole thing." Kyra sighed.
"I'll help." Angela told her.
After they explained everything to White Feather--Lenoya had been listening in--he agreed to keep it a secret, but Lenoya hadn't. Lenoya ran out of the village and out across the river bridge. He leaped over a fallen log, ducked under a low branch, and jumped over a small crevice. He stopped right in front of a small cabin and walked onto the cabin's porch, then knocked on the door. Fang, under a bush, growled and bristled his thick fur as Micheal opened the door and let Lenoya in.
Fang ran back to the village as fast as his tiny legs could go. Kyra was sitting with Satina, she knew the other girl from before her father took her and Kirsentia (Kirsten) to New York. Fang ran over and whined, pulling at Kyra's denim jacket.
"Jeez, what is your problem mutt?" Kyra asked, annoyed at his interruption. He barked and growled and ran off. He stopped a few yards away and barked, something was wrong. "Guys, Angela, hurry!" Kyra called, already running after Fang.
Brooklyn and Broadway and Lexington ran after her. Angela was about to follow, but Brooklyn called for her to stay and be safe. Fang led the group out of the village, across the river bridge, over the fallen log, under the low branch, and over the crevice. He stopped behind a tree-line and pointed dog-style through the dense brush. Kyra pushed a branch aside and looked at the cabin.
"It's just a cabin." she replied. "Nothing weird."
"How about the fact that your cousin just left it?" Broadway asked as Lenoya left, "Or that Micheal is with him?"
"Micheal? Please Broadway, tell me you did not just say you saw Micheal, because if Mikey's here we're in a lot of trouble. So don't say you said Micheal!" Kyra said frantically.
"Don't you ever take a breath?" Brooklyn asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, when everything's perfectly safe and normal." Kyra answered just as sarcastically.
"Come on, let's go tell Angela, now we know why we were sent here, Micheal must be after something here." Lexington said calmly.
"Yeah, and when Lenoya gets back to the village I'm gonna tear him apart!" Kyra threatened.
"Not if I do it first." Brooklyn replied angrily, "I can't believe it. Doesn't he know he's endangering his tribe, even himself?"
"No. He's probably getting paid to snitch on us, he only thinks of himself." Kyra answered with rage.
"I can't believe you're related to that traitor." Brooklyn sighed.
"Hey, remember, he's on my mom's side. I get most of my personality from my dad." Kyra told her.
"Let's go, Lenoya will get suspicious if we aren't in the village when he gets back." Brooklyn replied calmly.
"Brooks, I'm surprised. You haven't gotten mad at anyone since we left Manhattan, what's with you?" Kyra asked.
"I do have control over my temper sometimes." he answered, "Which is more than I can say for your sarcastic streak."
"Hey, being sarcastic is my nature, it's who I am." Kyra replied, "I am the queen of sarcasm."
"All right queen, let's get back to the village where you're just a princess." Angela said, stepping from behind a tree.
"You were back there the whole time, weren't you?" Lexington asked.
"Kyra isn't the only one who can sneak around silently." Angela answered.
"Let's go, Lenoya must be halfway home by now." Brooklyn said.
"Then we'd better go by airway." Angela said, looking up, "The trees look high enough, come on."
"Takes charge in a moment, just like her mother." Kyra said jokingly and changed into her gargoyle form.
"Very funny. I am nothing like Demona, and you know it." Angela called from the middle of a tree.
"You used to think you were going to end up just like her." Kyra shouted as she climbed after her.
The trio went up another tree, "All right you two, enough of the friendly quarrels." Brooklyn yelled.
"Sorry." the girls said simultaneously.
They got to the village just in time. Just after they landed and Kyra changed back, Lenoya ran through the bushes.
"Where have you been?" Kyra asked knowingly.
"Fishing by the river." he lied.
"Liar, that river's been empty of fish since I was six." she caught him, "You were talking to Micheal!" she raised her voice so that passing villagers would hear. One ran to see White Feather.
"Snitch." Lenoya snapped.
"Look who's talking." Kyra said angrily.
"Come on, Kyra, let's go talk to your uncle about Micheal." Brooklyn said and led her away from Lenoya so she couldn't hurt him. He knew how the girl got when she was mad.
"Kyrana, are you sure it was Micheal you saw?" White Feather asked Kyra.
"Uncle, when you see someone's face as many times as I've seen his, you don't mistake someone else for them." Kyra answered.
"This is very serious. If Micheal is here, then you and your friends are not safe." White Feather replied.
"I saw a shack about a half mile to the west of the cabin, it was pretty big, the stolen Steel Clan may be in there." Angela told him.
"What is this Steel Clan?" White Feather asked.
"It's a whole clan of robots that look like our leader. Micheal tries to use them to capture Kyra but she's too fast and clever." Brooklyn answered.
"I can see that in Kyrana, and Angela looks just as strong." White Feather replied.
"Why do you call her Kyrana, it takes so long." Lexington asked.
"Because Kyra is only half of her name, Kyrana is the name she is called by the elders and adults. The children are allowed to call her the shorter name, but only until they are grown." White Feather answered.
"Uncle White Feather, my mother never told me, what does my name mean?" Kyra asked.
"It means Twilight Bird." White Feather answered warmly, "Because of your eyes and beautiful voice."
"I know that, I mean my nickname." Kyra replied.
"Oh, 'Kaylar', it came from your father's language." White Feather said, "I think it had to do with how quickly you made friends with that wild horse colt."
"Where did you find a wild horse?" Brooklyn asked Kyra.
"He's not wild anymore, at least not around me." she replied, "I found him trapped in barbed wire. His herd was miles away and he was too young to be left out there, so I raised him, until he was a yearling and could care for himself. I called him Culostel, because of his great speed."
"Culostel? What does that mean?" Lexington asked.
"Culostel is the spirit of the storm." White Feather answered.
"Is he still around?" Kyra asked.
"Yes, he comes down to the clover field every summer." White Feather told her.
"We could use his speed to help in the battle." Brooklyn replied.
"Just what I was thinking." Kyra said, "Let's go find him."
"You and Angela go, the others and I should go see what Micheal is up to." Brooklyn told her.
"You mean you should go spy on him." Kyra translated. "Don't you think that's childish? It's what you tell me."
"Go find the horse." Brooklyn retorted, "We don't know when Micheal will attack."
"Why does the enemy always get to attack first?" Kyra asked.
"The one who attacks first usually wears out first." White Feather replied. Kyra took that as a very agreeable reply.
As she left the hut, she called out, "Angela! Come on, we've got to go find my secret weapon." Not caring if Lenoya told Micheal she had one. Angela came over quickly.
"What weapon?" she asked.
"You'll see." Kyra answered and ran to the clover fields about a mile away from the village. All the way, Angela was right behind her. She kept herself in human form, so Culostel would recognize her.
"So what's this secret weapon of yours?" Angela asked, nearly out of breath.
"Him." Kyra answered, pointing to a large black stallion, he was rearing up and neighing for all he was worth. He had a white forehoof and a white star on his forehead, it ran down as a thin strip at the middle of his nose and split below his eyes, going in two lines across both sides of his face and coating his muzzle.
"He's gorgeous, but those are the strangest marks I've ever seen." Angela said, amazed as the horse ran over at top speed and stopped right in front of Kyra and taking a few kernels of corn she had taken from the village to feed him. "I can't believe he just came right up to you."
"You haven't seen anything yet, watch this." Kyra said and pulled herself up on Culostel. She yelled for him to go and he tore off across the field, kicking up dirt and grass with his sharp hooves. He leaped over a fallen log and sped through the river, maneuvering through scattered trees, leaping through dense bushes and circling around a huge tree, all the while being watched, not just by Angela.
"That horse is faster than Dominique said." Micheal said, watching Kyra guide the horse along the river. "And if Kyra and Angela are here, then the others are at the village."
The white wolf with the beautiful markings ran over and the horse simply stopped, obviously he was not scared of her. "Hi Mali," Kyra greeted the wolf.
The wolf barked a hello and Kyra nudged Culostel with her heels, he began to run again. This time, Mali was behind him,
not hunting him, but following Kyra.
"Kyra found another wolf to help, and I have a feeling Fang's with her too." Micheal said, "This could be difficult, as usual."
"Come on Angie, let's get Culostel and Mali to the village." Kyra called and rode the horse to Angela.
Kyra pulled Angela up and told the horse to go the village. They simply held on, Culostel did the steering, Mali was right behind them the whole time.
When they got to the village, Kyra tied her rope into a bridle. Culostel stood firm, allowing her to tie him to a pole outside White Feather's hut. Mali and Fang followed her faithfully over to Satina's hut. Kyra told Satina to find all the tribal warriors. Mali had been growling over at a bush before we left for the village. Kyra knew Micheal was there, and he would be getting ready to send the robots for whatever he wanted.
The trio came over soon after, "We found out what Micheal is after." Broadway said.
"What?" Kyra asked.
"Your horse, Kyra." Lexington answered.
"Well, he can just forget that, Culostel is a wild horse and I'm keeping it that way. Right after the battle I'm letting him go again." Kyra replied.
"Why would he want Culostel?" Satina asked. "No warrior has been able to tame him, even the best one."
"Who's the best warrior?" Elisa asked.
"Lenoya." Satina answered. "Until Kyra came back anyway."
"And he's on Micheal's side." Kyra sighed, "Now what do we do?"
"We do what we're supposed to do." Brooklyn replied, "We protect Culostel."
The warriors were beginning to put on the war paint, Kyra saw Lenoya. "Forget it boy, we don't want double agents." she called to him. He came over.
"Look, snitch, I'm trying to help Culostel, he can't get a lot of food out where he goes during winter." Lenoya said below his breath. "Dominique Destine wants to buy him."
"Where does he go?" Kyra asked. "Show me and I might believe you about this. And even if I do, turning him over to Micheal and his demonic employer is not the best option."
"Come on, I suppose you want to bring the dogs in case I'm leading you to a trap." Lenoya answered.
She nodded. "Sorry cousin, but I don't trust anyone until I have good reason to." Kyra replied. "Fang, Mali! Come on guys, we're going on a little walk and I need protection." Lenoya led the way, he walked to the west, heading for the mountains.
They stopped in a mountain valley. "This is where he goes? No wonder he was eating so much in the field." Kyra said, looking out at the still snowy valley. "We have to find another place for him to go during winter. Why doesn't he stay in the field?" Kyra asked.
"The elk and wolves chase him away." Lenoya answered.
"Then we'll find a place where he's safe from predators and over grazing." Kyra replied, "And I think I know the perfect place, I'll take him with me and my friends when we return to where we rest between voyages, trust me, he'll be safe there."
"You're right, Culostel would be better free than captive." Lenoya agreed. "I just figured there was no safe place..."
"Well here there aren't..." Kyra replied. "Any ideas on what we do?"
"First we get Micheal off our land so we can get Culostel out of the village without losing him." Lenoya answered.
"I don't think that will be happening soon." Micheal said from the top of a cliff, Fang looked up at him and growled angrily. He was in Demona's robot armor, as Kyra knew he would be.
"And what are you going to do to stop us, you can't shoot me, my wings reflect lazers, they'll protect Lenoya too." Kyra reminded him and transformed.
"Maybe, but they can't protect you from an avalanche." Micheal said.
"You wouldn't." Lenoya challenged.
"Yes, I would." Micheal told him.
"You're no better than Demona, you never wanted me dead before." Kyra hissed.
"I'm not going to kill you, just slow you up a little. That way you can't warn the tribe I'm coming." Micheal said and fired at a mound of snow, the snow fell from the cliff and blocked the way out of the valley, Micheal left immediately.
"The joke's on him," Kyra said after Micheal left, "The tribe's ready for him by now."
"But the gargoyles are going to get worried about you and leave to find you." Lenoya replied.
Suddenly, a loud whinny sounded from behind the snow bank, "Culostel!" Kyra called, "Now we don't have to worry. I'm not strong enough to carry you to the village when I fly back, but Culostel can run faster than I can fly." she said and started climbing the snow, "Climb onto my back, I'll get you out of here."
He obeyed and Kyra climbed out with him in a few minutes. After they got to the top of the snow bank, Lenoya slid down and jumped on Culostel's back. Surprisingly, Culostel ran for the village instead of bucking, he knew this was an emergency. The dogs followed him and Kyra spread her wings and took off towards the village.
Meanwhile, the battle was raging and the village was losing.
"Don't worry, we'll win when Kyra comes." Brooklyn called to the other gargoyles.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Micheal told him, "Kyra and Lenoya are trapped behind a wall of snow, they won't get out until well after sunrise."
"You didn't!" Angela exclaimed. Just then Lenoya rode in on Culostel.
"He did, but Kyra got us out in a matter of minutes." Lenoya replied.
"Where's Kyra?" Brooklyn asked.
"She made a little pit stop for another special weapon." Lenoya answered.
"What?" Lexington asked. Just then, Kyra's voice rang out.
"Bombs away!" she cried as she dropped a bucketload of water over the robots. She hovered as each one shorted out and dropped to the ground. Then she dove down and attacked Micheal with her claws and sped away, deciding to test her magic. She created a blast of wind that knocked Micheal down to the ground, the trio went over to him angrily. Micheal wisely
retreated immediately.
"Way to go cousin!" Lenoya called as Kyra landed. Fang ran over to her and jumped into her arms, licking and wagging his little tail.
"Good work, Kyra, you're definitely improving." Brooklyn told her.
"Angie, I've got something to ask you." Kyra said solemnly. Culostel shook his head free of some burrs that got caught during the run to the village, flapping his black mane in the wind.
"What is it?" Angela asked.
"Well..." Kyra told her about what she and Lenoya decided would be best for Culostel since he couldn't find food during winter. She agreed that Culostel would be happy in Avalon. There was a large pasture, and as Angela said long before, it was always summer in Avalon.
"Hey, Kyra, you're a good Gargoyle warrior, but I bet you forgot how to be a Kutenai warrior." Lenoya said, smiling. It was a friendly challenge, he knew she'd win. Kyra put her jewel back on and changed back to a human form.
"What planet are you living on, boy? I could beat you any day." she replied just as friendly.
"Then hit the target again." Lenoya challenged, "Like when you were six."
"You shot arrows when you were six?" Brooklyn asked.
"I'm a fast learner." Kyra answered with a smirk. That was starting to be her favorite saying, next to "things change".
"The younger boys want to see you shoot." Lenoya told her, "So shoot a couple of arrows."
"Where?" Kyra asked, looking around.
"We just happen to have a target set up." Lenoya said, pointing to the center of the village.
"Oh, you just "happen to" huh?" Kyra said sarcastically, "All right, if you want to see me so much, fine."
"There's arrows over there." Lenoya pointed.
"Forget it, I don't trust you. Knowing your jealousy, they're probably rigged." Kyra replied, "Fang, go to the weapon hut and bring me a couple of arrows and a bow." Fang ran into the hut and brought a bow with two eagle feathers tied to it around his neck, he had three arrows in his mouth. "Good boy." She took the arrows from his mouth and the bow from around his neck and put an arrow in it. She aimed for the target.
"You're going to miss." Lenoya chanted.
"And hit you." she imitated his voice, keeping her eyes on the target. Angela giggled quietly.
Kyra focused on the middle of the target. To her, there was only her, the arrow, and the center of the target. She released the arrow and it spun through the air and landed in the center of the target, right where she wanted it.
"Care to try a shot, or are you afraid I've beaten you?" Kyra asked.
"No way, I can shoot an arrow into a target twenty miles away with both eyes shut." Lenoya boasted. Kyra rolled her eyes.
"Enough talk," she said, thrusting the bow into his hands. "Shoot the arrow."
Lenoya did, and he shot well, well off the target. Culostel reared back and cried out as the arrow landed right by his hoof.
"Oh brother, obviously aim does not run in the family." Kyra sighed, looking up and shaking her head. Fang barked sharply and jumped at the arrow.
"Kyrana has proven her capabilities once again." White Feather announced. The tribe cheered.
"Better luck next time, cousin." Kyra smiled. Just because she trusted Lenoya didn't mean she had to like him completely!
She took the bow from Lenoya and handed it to White Feather. He refused it.
"No child, it is yours, you have won it in challenge." he told her.
"Thank you." Kyra replied, swinging the bow over her arm and head, she wore it like a warrior.
"You'd better make some arrows for it." Satina reminded her.
"Doesn't she get any?" Broadway asked.
"No, once a warrior has won their own bow, they make as many arrows as the years they are aged." White Feather answered. "It's an old tradition that has been kept over the centuries."
"Then I guess you make sixteen arrows." Angela told Kyra.
"Want to help me gather sticks for the bases?" Kyra asked her, taking a basket. Angela nodded.
"Don't stray too far from the village." Brooklyn told them. "Micheal may be near."
Angela and Kyra ran into the forest. "Look for thin, strong, straight sticks." Kyra told her, "And some small, sharp rocks if you can find any."
An hour later, they came back to the village. The basket Kyra carried had sixteen sharp rocks, and Angela carried sixteen thin sticks.
"Now what do we do?" Angela asked.
"I'll show you." Kyra took a stick, snapped all the twigs and buds off of it. She then took a knife and scraped all the bark off of the stick. After that, she took a rock, sharpened it with the knife, and using some strong deerskin string, tied the sharp pointed rock to one end of the stick. "Now we do that to the other fifteen."
"Great, this'll take all night." Angela sighed.
"Not if we do it together." Kyra replied, "You do some, and I'll do some."
"I'll help too." Satina volunteered.
A half-hour later, they had finished every arrow. Kyra put the arrows in a special bag and put the bag on the same way she had put the bow on.
"Now you look like a warrior." White Feather replied.
"She's always looked like a warrior, now she has a weapon to make herself more equal to Demona." Broadway added.
"Just remember to only use the arrows when there's no other choice." Brooklyn told Kyra. "Or Goliath'll have our heads."
"I will." Kyra promised and Mali came up to her. Kyra kneeled and petted the wolf.
"We'd better go if we want to get to Avalon before sunrise." Elisa said, looking at the brightening horizon.
"Sorry, Mali, I can't play with you, I have to go." Kyra said, rubbing the wolf's grey head patch.
Mali whined and went over to Lenoya. "I'll miss you, can't I come with you?" he asked.
"No, we both belong with the tribe, but I belong more in New York with the clan right now, they need help more than I need to be here." Kyra answered, "Take care of him Mali."
She called to Fang and he jumped into her arms. Angela took Culostel's hand-made bridle and led him away to a raft tied to the boat, he kneeled and put his head down after boarding it. He almost disappeared in a mound of black except for his head star.
"Now I know why he's your horse." Lexington joked, seeing the pure black mound of horse on the raft.
"Very funny," Kyra said sarcastically, "Fang, you get on the raft too." Fang grumbled in a doggish manner and jumped onto the raft, falling asleep curled on Culostel.
Once they got to Avalon, Kyra led Culostel off the raft and showed him to Princess Katharine, Tom, and the teenage Gargoyles.
"He has to stay here, it's the only way he'll be safe all year." Kyra told them.
"If the weird sisters let him in, then I guess it's all right to let him be here." Princess Katharine replied. Culostel whinnied and snorted, he nearly reared up on his hind legs.
"You big baby. This place is strange, but it's safe." Kyra scolded.
"Besides, we'll take care of you." Ophelia added. That calmed him immediately, he went over to a patch of grass and grazed.
"We should probably go, before Culostel starts to remember I'm here." Kyra said and they left him with the Avalon clan. As the mist surrounded them, Kyra had a feeling it wasn't their last journey.
- I have no connections to the Kutenai tribe of the Rocky Mountains, I just guessed on stuff and went by what I learned in my Native Cultures classes. This chapter is not meant to be historically or culturally accurate in anyway nor is it meant to insult a member of the Kutenai tribes.