Arielle sat at the base of a rather large oak, she was balancing her sword on her fist, the lethal blade and the hilt perfectly balanced.
She suddenly threw it up and in a single swift motion stood and snatched it out of the air. She sheathed her blade and walked deeper into the forest taking no notice of the fine, cold drizzle that was now falling from the heavens,
"What did you do that for!" Came a dark voice from the tree tops, A strange creature swooped down, it looked much like a gryphon though instead of half-lion half-eagle it was half-wolf half-raven.
"Do what?" Arielle said with a smirk, the creature rolled its eyes,
"That, 'you didn't kill your own sister' bit" It said angrily,
"Oh come on, don't you think it made it seem more believable?" She said with a childish grin,
"Plus, it was fun"
"Just keep the plan in mind ok? Do not fail me" It hissed, Arielle nodded,
"No worries sister, I shall not fail you sister," She said solemnly
"Ah, but how could I forget a plan as glorious as ours?" She added with a sly grin. The creature nodded and took off into the forest.
Hannah walked to the river knowing perfectly well she would catch nothing, first of all it was early January and the river was mostly frozen, second she had never been fishing in her life. She sat on a log and sighed,
"Why did I have to say that? I just risked my friendship with her." She said looking into the icy river that ran sluggishly down its century old path. She stood up and walked slowly back to camp; Araya was sitting by the fire on a log and looked glum,
"You didn't catch anything did you?" She asked and Hannah shook her head,
"No luck, must be too cold for the fish" She lied and shivered, she sat down and held her hands up to the fire warming them, Arielle stepped out from the forest and sat next to Araya,
"Sorry about that, bad memories and all," She said with a forced smile. Hannah and Araya nodded in unison,
"But really, I should be sorry…" Hannah said her voice quavering,
"Its ok Hannah, you didn't know…" And the topic was dismissed; after a bit Araya shifted to a gryphon and took flight,
"I'll go get some dinner," She called back and flew into the forest, leaving Hannah and Arielle alone.
Kyril watched them careful not to make a sound, watch and listen, that was what he was to do. Suddenly he heard a loud whinny as Kibeth stumbled through the bush,
"Wolves" She said weakly and collapsed on the ground. Kyril looked at her, her white coat was caked with blood and what looked like dried mud, and Kyril looked away in disgust.
Her hooves were cut and bleeding the fresh crimson blood staining the ground on which she lay, there were three large gashes on her neck, looking like scratch marks, this was the source of most of the blood which ran sluggishly down her back to the ground.
Kyril pondered should he save her and risk ruining his plans? Or leave her to die, he finally decided and swooped down to the ground next to the bloody horse. He purposely bit his left wing and rolled around a bit in the mixture of horse blood and mud on the ground. He smiled,
"Perfect," He hissed and limped dragging his hurt wing to the trio's camp. He limped to the edge of camp,
"Kibeth!" He said hoarsely,
"Hurry!" He said and pointed to the forest where the horse lay. Then he made an act of losing conciseness. Arielle and Araya ran to where Kyril had pointed to find the horse lying in the mud, unconscious.
"Arielle! Heal her already!" Araya exclaimed, Arielle looked at her placidly,
"I can't," She said looking at the ground,
"Fine! Go back to Kyril and take care of him" Araya said angrily and kneeled in the mud next to the horse. Arielle nodded and ran off to the fire, she knelt next to Kyril, Kyril opened a silted eye,
"Why did you do that fool?" Arielle asked angrily
Kyril did his best to look both pathetic and confused,
"Do what?" He asked,
"Fake that?" Arielle growled,
"How did you know I faked that?" Kyril asked for the first time in decades confused. Arielle smirked and her form melted as she became a black fox, and ran off, well tried to, Kyril's tail shot out as he wrapped it around the fox's tail. The fox made an odd screeching sound as it struggled against the dragon's killer grip,
"Let me go fool!" It exclaimed and turned to face its captor,
"Why would I do that fox?" He hissed with a chuckle,
"Because, I can shift to more than a fox!" The fox said proudly,
"Prove it then" Kyril challenged,
The fox spun around in an attempt to escape, she succeeded but at a price, all the fur was stripped from her tail and there were a few cuts from Kyril's spikes, but she was free, with a smirk aimed at Kyril she ran off into the forest. Hannah who had been there the entire time sat on the log and stared placidly at Kyril who sighed,
"Who was that?" Hannah asked,
"I'm not sure," Kyril said with a shrug as Kibeth and Araya returned,
"What's going on?" Araya asked confused,
"Oh, nothing really, I just figured out that Arielle has been a fraud ever since you two were captured by that dragon." He said bluntly and took flight,
"I'm going to go find her!" He said as he caught a thermal and soared into the sky.
"So it seems the great Arielle of the Blood bane clan has met her match, eh?" said a sinister and mocking voice from the shadows outside Arielle's barred door, the door opened and a man stepped in, he was clad in all black except for the trim on his cloak, it was crimson. His hair was also black and un-kept, it came to a little below his shoulders, and his eyes were startling, yellow with silted pupils. Arielle stared at him coldly,
"Why Cole?" Why did you turn to…to Necromancy?" She asked her voice quavering,
"Dear dear Arielle, A better question would be why did you stay? Why did you believe in the Charter, believe it would return, It will never return, you know that, as well as I" He said his voice a mockery of kindness. Arielle turned around, hurt. He chuckled softly and turned around beginning to walk out the barred door,
"Well, good night oh great Arielle," he sneered and closed the door, locking it carefully.
Cole chuckled as he locked the door with both manual locks, and magic, dark magic of course,
"All too easy, soon her spirit will be crushed, she will turn to me for help, and she will join me." He sneered and sat in a large black leather chair near the fire-place. He lit the fire and a face appeared in it, it was the face of the fox, its black fur glistening with rain,
"Zirel reporting in sir," The fox said as soon as her face swam into focus.
"Stop with the formalities, and cut to the chase" He hissed annoyed,
Zirel nodded and continued,
"Kyril and the others know that I am not Arielle, Kyril left to search for her." Zirel said her voice hushed.
Cole nodded,
"Yes of course, where is the fire you are reporting from?" Cole asked careful of his choice of words.
Zirel looked at him strangely,
"Pardon…but…"She started but was cut off,
"No, answer the question. I am beginning to question your loyalty Zirel" Cole warned. Zirel nodded humbly,
"Sorry sir, I am in an abandoned old house not far from the human town." She said obediently.
Cole nodded,
"Come home Zirel, and be quick about it. Stick to your usual stealthy ways, Do not draw attention." Cole reminded.
"Yes sir, I shall see you soon," Zirel said with a slight bow and her face dissapered.
Cole sunk into the feathery warmth of the chair and fell into a deep sleep, a sleep so deep he didn't even notice Arielle sticking her hand out the barred door and snatching her sword from where it was leaned against the wall.