Arielle and Hannah had finally decided that tomorrow they would execute their plan. They had spent many long hours deciding what exactly they were to do. But finally they were just waiting for the sun to rise. Hannah was fast asleep while Arielle was busily preparing for the coming day. She had her Charter skins made, folded and one packed into a saddle bag which Kibeth reluctantly allowed Arielle to strap to her back, she hated the heavy thing, weighing her down and not letting her run her fastest in fear of it coming loose. But she was eager to help her mistress so she let her strap the black bag to her back, all the while mumbling. Arielle had just finished strapping it to the mares back when a rather large black wolf jumped onto Arielle's chest, pinning her to the somewhat muddy ground, the surprised mare of course galloped away in fear of her natural enemy. Arielle looked up into the wolfs' dark and sinister eyes, they looked as though they held nothing but hatred and guilt, guilt for the lives it had smothered in its attempt to live. The wolf looked down upon Arielle's somewhat frightened face,
"Where is Hannah?" It growled, showing its razor sharp canines. Arielle sighed and looked the beast straight in the eyes,
"Well it depends on who want to know," She said coolly, the wolf growled in annoyance,
"I want to know!" It hissed through clenched teeth,
"Fine, I'll tell you if you get off me!" She said a slight smirk on her face, Arielle stood up as the rather large wolf backed off her.
"I think you broke a bone or something!" Arielle said examining her muddy limbs,
"Shut up and tell me where she is!" The wolf exclaimed getting impatient. Arielle sighed and pointed to the cave, just as Kyril swooped down, raking his talons on the wolfs' back. It roared in pain and spun around just barely missing Kyril's wing. Kyril landed on a tree limb chuckling softly,
"Well hello Araya," he said quite bluntly.
"Wait a minute…you know each other?'" Arielle asked her face a mask of confusion. The wolf nodded and rather sluggishly shifted back to her, a teenager, about thirteen soon replaced the bloodthirsty wolf; she had raven hair and violet eyes. She sighed and looked at the old dragon,
"Yes Kyril, it is I. Araya." She said with a slight and emphasized bow, a slight grin crept across her fair face. Kyril looked at Araya his dark eyes seeing much more than just a person,
"You have changed so much in so few years it seems." He said softly. He then turned to Arielle,
"Sorry about that, this is Araya, I served her father a hundred years ago, he died and battle. He had it set in his will for me to join your family Arielle," he explained.
Arielle looked confused for a moment then her eyes lit up,
"Whoa, hold it. How could your father of been alive when you were alive a hundred years ago?" Arielle asked.
Araya sighed and as if explaining tucked a lock of her own wild hair behind her pointed ear.
"So, you're an elf?" She asked and Araya nodded in reply,
"I may look thirteen but I am really fifty." She said bluntly.
"Oh" said Arielle simply and she walked into the cave,
"Well now that that's settled I need to wake Hannah, it's almost time to go." She said
"Go where?' Araya asked tilting her head in an almost wolf-like way.
"Oh sorry, I forgot to fill you in. We are going to get captured by nick and john, or whoever they send next at least." She said as if they did this everyday.
"Wait, go back to the orphanage? What are you crazy?" Araya exclaimed.
"Oh no, we are going to save the orphanage and fix it so it is a normal one, or as normal as it can be" She said and walked into the cave just as Hannah exited and went off looking for Kibeth. Araya shifted into a horse just like Kibeth and trotted up to Hannah, but Hannah was no fool she recognized her almost sister like figure from the orphanage. She hugged the white mare and then looked around for the real Kibeth,
"Kibeth!" She yelled into the forest.
Little did they know but they where being watched by two peculiar crows, they were mere masses of decaying flesh and feathers just barely clinging to what was left of the skeleton. Kyril in a nearby tree limb chuckled and turned away flying into the mountain forest, but before he did he muttered two words,
"Gore Crows,"