Chapter 17

Thorne had broken into a run, and Shaiden wasn't far behind.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Crystal.

No reply.

"Who are these friends? Are they those guys from the Castle?"

Still no reply.

Crystal decided to cut the questions, and just try and keep up with the siblings.

Thorne was getting really excited now. He could see them, all seven of them, standing there. He leapt, he bounded, and within a matter of seconds, he was at... Crocness' feet?

Oh yeah, he thought, looking up at her. He'd almost forgotten that he was still a wolf.

All the others were staring at him.

He tried to speak. "Guys, I-"

But, yet again, Shaiden interrupted, though this time it was through a padding of paws, and not words, after having caught up with Thorne.

He was getting really annoyed about that.

"What happened to you, Shaiden?" asked Ballista.

"We don't know, either." Shaiden answered. "But you guys have questions to be asked too- like, how did you get here?"

At that moment, Gildar stepped forward and smiled. Shaiden had almost forgotten how annoying his vanity was, and now she was getting flashbacks from her days at the Academy. Oh, the horror!

"As a matter of fact," he said proudly, "I engineered this whole operation. Right down to the timescale."

Ballista groaned, and pushed him hard. "Shut up Gildar. It wasn't your idea to bring us here- it was all Kook's."

Kookaburra slowly stepped forward, whilst Gildar relucantly took to the side.

"Kook, how did you do it?" Shaiden asked.

Kook smiled. "Let's just say the weapons played a vital part." he told her.

Shaiden was confused. But, this time, she was happy and confused- because, her friends, her friends till the end, had finally came to rescue her.

Kook leaned to the left. "Um, Shaiden, who's your new friend?" he asked.

Shaiden knew he who he was on about. "Well, I'll let her introduce herself." she said. "Crystal?"

Crystal didn't move an inch.

"I guess she's a little shy." Kook said with a smile.

"No, no!" Shaiden replied. "She's not shy, I swear!"

She gestured to her brother, and Thorne immediately came over to Crystal.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. "Where's all that enthusiasm, that bubbliness, that hyperactivity?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." replied Crystal apologetically, "It's just, I get really nervous around new people, I don't know why."

Thorne knew who he was seeing. It was still Crystal, but, for the first time since he had met her, she was acting shy.

"Crystal, this really isn't the time." he told her.

"I know, I'm so so sorry!" she replied, crying on his shoulder.

All the others were staring.

"Are you two in a relationship or something?" asked Kook.

Shaiden giggled, Crystal blushed. Thorne said nothing.

Crystal turned to Thorne. "Why are they...?"

"Kookaburra is a bit of a joker." Thorne replied flatly.

Crystal nodded slowly. All these new people, they were dressed so elaborately, and they held weapons in their hands.

They looked dangerous. They were good, at least, now they were, but Crystal couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was watching.

As if her mind was being read, the voice of The Entity filled the air: "Ah, such a happy ending. For me, anyway. You, my little wolves, aren't going anywhere. And neither are your friends."

Thorne turned to his sister and Crystal, and said one word: "Run."