Chapter 8: "I Trust Only You."
When the spirit disappeared Alex got up and looked herself up and down. She was a mess. Bloodstains all over her and areas on her clothes were coming apart.
"Moonshade?" Alex sent.
"What?" Moonshade sent sharply. Alex paused for a moment.
Then she sent, "Can you bring me some materials. You don't have to make my clothes for me."
"Whatever. They'll be there in a minute." Moonshade sent.
Alex watched the children while she waited.
"We need to get them into a nice hot bath. They look terrible." Someone sent.
Alex looked behind her. Clearbrook was standing with a handful of material and looking sweetly at the children. Alex smiled and took the material and sat it down on a table.
"Something troubling you?" Clearbrook sent.
"Yea kind of." Alex sent, unsure. Clearbrook took her downstairs into the cellar.
"What's wrong Alex?" Clearbrook whispered. Alex was quiet.
"Is it about the humans and Cutter yelling at you?" Clearbrook asked.
Alex looked at her. "That's only part of it." She said.
"Well don't worry. It's fine, Cutter yells at everyone. I know that he knows you wouldn't do anything to put us in danger. So don't worry." Clearbrook said.
"Thanks." Alex said smiling. "What's the other part?" Clearbrook asked.
"Well, I think I'm hearing things, but maybe not. Joyleaf's spirit talked to me." Alex paused and looked at Clearbrook's shocked face.
"What? Joyleaf's spirit? ---Is that why I sensed her still around? Clearbrook asked herself, out loud.
Alex looked confused. "Sorry--- anyway, go on." Clearbrook said.
"Out of all the wolfriders I trust you the most, even more than Skywise and Cutter. You can't tell anyone this." Alex said.
Clearbrook nodded. "I promise." She said. Alex told her the story of being human and coming to this world, to Clearbrook. She told her everything. Clearbrook stared in shock.
"You're human?" Clearbrook whispered. "Was --- human." Alex corrected her.
Then she told Clearbrook the story of what just happened with Joyleaf's spirit. "Lily?" Clearbrook asked pausing. "Yea, I guess that's who I am. Cutter's little sister. I was 3 when I was taken by the humans and Cutter was 6." Alex said.
"You were --- Bearclaw's little flower. Very valuable to him and Joyleaf." Clearbrook said.
"Clearbrook, I am part of this tribe. I always thought it wasn't real but now I know it is. I cant go home. This is my home, and you are my family. This is where I belong." Alex said.
Clearbrook eyes became bright with tears. "You're home!" She said hugging Alex. "Yea well sometimes I don't feel like I'm home, especial because of Strongbow!" Alex said. "You got your father's temper, that's for sure." Clearbrook said smiling.
"Welcome home Alex. You have a lot to do don't you? Everyone is ganna find out sooner or later. So it might as well be sooner." Clearbrook said.
"Yea I guess, but not tonight. I have to take care of the children first. And make myself some new clothes." Alex said.
They went back upstairs and found the children in a corner frightened. As soon as Alex came into the children's view, they ran to her.
"Ms. Alex! Help! It was scary!" Jayra screamed.
"What? What was scary?" Alex asked taking the children into her arms.
"Some really tall elf lady appeared out of nowhere when Cori and me woke up. She kept saying 'Come to me.' She wouldn't go away." Jayra said crying in Alex's arms.
"Winnowil?" Alex thought. "No it couldn't be."
"She wore black and her hair was really long and she was pale and cold looking." Cori said pausing for breath.
"Whoa, Cori, whoa!" Clearbrook said taking Cori. She lifted him up into her arms and looked at him.
"She's not afraid of them?" Alex thought. "They are like you were Alex. That is why I'm not afraid. You were scared child once too." Clearbrook sent seeing the expression on Alex's face.
Alex smiled and picked Jayra up.
"Don't worry Jayra, we'll figure out what happened." She said. "Promise?" Cori asked.
"We promise Cori" Clearbrook said.
Cori and Jayra smiled and Jayra hugged Alex. She stayed laying on her shoulder and fell asleep again. Clearbrook put Cori down and said, "What say we give you two a nice hot bath?"
Cori smiled a big smile of agreement. Alex and Clearbrook smiled and Clearbrook took Cori's hand. The three of them walked out side. Jayra still Sleeping in Alex's arms.
When the spirit disappeared Alex got up and looked herself up and down. She was a mess. Bloodstains all over her and areas on her clothes were coming apart.
"Moonshade?" Alex sent.
"What?" Moonshade sent sharply. Alex paused for a moment.
Then she sent, "Can you bring me some materials. You don't have to make my clothes for me."
"Whatever. They'll be there in a minute." Moonshade sent.
Alex watched the children while she waited.
"We need to get them into a nice hot bath. They look terrible." Someone sent.
Alex looked behind her. Clearbrook was standing with a handful of material and looking sweetly at the children. Alex smiled and took the material and sat it down on a table.
"Something troubling you?" Clearbrook sent.
"Yea kind of." Alex sent, unsure. Clearbrook took her downstairs into the cellar.
"What's wrong Alex?" Clearbrook whispered. Alex was quiet.
"Is it about the humans and Cutter yelling at you?" Clearbrook asked.
Alex looked at her. "That's only part of it." She said.
"Well don't worry. It's fine, Cutter yells at everyone. I know that he knows you wouldn't do anything to put us in danger. So don't worry." Clearbrook said.
"Thanks." Alex said smiling. "What's the other part?" Clearbrook asked.
"Well, I think I'm hearing things, but maybe not. Joyleaf's spirit talked to me." Alex paused and looked at Clearbrook's shocked face.
"What? Joyleaf's spirit? ---Is that why I sensed her still around? Clearbrook asked herself, out loud.
Alex looked confused. "Sorry--- anyway, go on." Clearbrook said.
"Out of all the wolfriders I trust you the most, even more than Skywise and Cutter. You can't tell anyone this." Alex said.
Clearbrook nodded. "I promise." She said. Alex told her the story of being human and coming to this world, to Clearbrook. She told her everything. Clearbrook stared in shock.
"You're human?" Clearbrook whispered. "Was --- human." Alex corrected her.
Then she told Clearbrook the story of what just happened with Joyleaf's spirit. "Lily?" Clearbrook asked pausing. "Yea, I guess that's who I am. Cutter's little sister. I was 3 when I was taken by the humans and Cutter was 6." Alex said.
"You were --- Bearclaw's little flower. Very valuable to him and Joyleaf." Clearbrook said.
"Clearbrook, I am part of this tribe. I always thought it wasn't real but now I know it is. I cant go home. This is my home, and you are my family. This is where I belong." Alex said.
Clearbrook eyes became bright with tears. "You're home!" She said hugging Alex. "Yea well sometimes I don't feel like I'm home, especial because of Strongbow!" Alex said. "You got your father's temper, that's for sure." Clearbrook said smiling.
"Welcome home Alex. You have a lot to do don't you? Everyone is ganna find out sooner or later. So it might as well be sooner." Clearbrook said.
"Yea I guess, but not tonight. I have to take care of the children first. And make myself some new clothes." Alex said.
They went back upstairs and found the children in a corner frightened. As soon as Alex came into the children's view, they ran to her.
"Ms. Alex! Help! It was scary!" Jayra screamed.
"What? What was scary?" Alex asked taking the children into her arms.
"Some really tall elf lady appeared out of nowhere when Cori and me woke up. She kept saying 'Come to me.' She wouldn't go away." Jayra said crying in Alex's arms.
"Winnowil?" Alex thought. "No it couldn't be."
"She wore black and her hair was really long and she was pale and cold looking." Cori said pausing for breath.
"Whoa, Cori, whoa!" Clearbrook said taking Cori. She lifted him up into her arms and looked at him.
"She's not afraid of them?" Alex thought. "They are like you were Alex. That is why I'm not afraid. You were scared child once too." Clearbrook sent seeing the expression on Alex's face.
Alex smiled and picked Jayra up.
"Don't worry Jayra, we'll figure out what happened." She said. "Promise?" Cori asked.
"We promise Cori" Clearbrook said.
Cori and Jayra smiled and Jayra hugged Alex. She stayed laying on her shoulder and fell asleep again. Clearbrook put Cori down and said, "What say we give you two a nice hot bath?"
Cori smiled a big smile of agreement. Alex and Clearbrook smiled and Clearbrook took Cori's hand. The three of them walked out side. Jayra still Sleeping in Alex's arms.