Author's Note: Hello everyone. Sorry for taking SO BLOODY LONG to post. Once again, I haven't given up yet but I've been really busy with fun stuff (vacation) and sad stuff (funerals) so my will to write was slightly deteriorated for this chapter. Next one should be better though. Also, thanks to a suggestion from a reader I'm going to be fancy and try using horizontal line breaks to better show time disparages. Woo snazzy! Enjoy!

Of Claws and Totems

Chapter 14

Change

When Kalara saw the two worgen slowly approaching them, she backed up until she bumped into Blackheart. Once the pair were close enough she could hear that they were talking. It was a strange dialect of common; they were discussing the Cataclysm. Soon the pair passed them by without a second glance. Kalara looked up at Blackheart and saw he was no longer watching the two that had walked past. Following his gaze she understood why: there were thousands of worgen roaming around Darnassus. Blackheart was awestruck at their numbers.

The rest of the group stood in amazement as well. Miakoda was the first to break the silence. "Relarus… what is all this?"

"I… do not know," the night elf said. He took a sweeping look around him before saying, "Much has changed since we have been gone."

Blackheart could not stop looking at and smelling the worgen around him. Until this moment he had thought that he was unique, a lone sane worgen among all those senseless monsters out there… and now his perception on life had coming crashing down. All of these other worgen were clearly in control of themselves… and strangest of all they were fully accepted by those around them. His life may have just gotten much easier.

Blackheart was still lost in thought staring at Darnassus when Relarus interrupted him, saying, "We must take Tyria to see Tyrande." He then turned and led them towards the large temple. The group followed the night elf over the bridges and small lake to get to the temple. Each group member was focusing on something different on the short trip. Blackheart focused on the worgen that he was surrounded by. Kalara, while she did look at the worgen, tried to take all of Darnassus in. Until they had made their fateful journey to Auberdine she had never been outside of Azuremyst Isle. She was amazed by the natural beauty that was Darnassus, and she was still having problems believing that they were in a giant tree. Miakoda took in the city much more stoically, that and she tried to not draw too much attention to herself. Great members of the Cenarion Circle most night elves might be, but she was still Horde and they Alliance. Tyria, while she was wide eyed and curious, kept in between the group. Even after all this time she seemed more comfortable with other races than her own. Captain Solia opted to wait with her crew saying something about not liking it when someone outranked her.

As they started to ascend the steps to the temple, they all stopped when two very important figures appeared at the top of the stairs. The night elf to the right he knew from her dress and from what he had been told: Tyrande Whisperwind. The human to the left he did not know, but he was dressed as a king. They continued towards Blackheart's group, talking quietly to each other. When Tyrande reached them, she slowed to a stop. "Relarus?" she asked. The human king remained silent, though Blackheart got the distinct feeling that the human was looking at him… closely. Blackheart's senses were very confused by him. His appearance was that of a human. But his smell was that of something feral… that of a worgen.

Relarus bowed before the night elf leader. "Greetings Tyrande."

Tyrande smiled then, saying, "I had heard that you were… lost. I am pleased to see it is not so. Who are your companions?"

Relarus turned to the group following him and introduced all of them. "This is Kalara, a remarkably powerful shaman. Next is Blackheart, a worgen who's prowess as a warrior is also outstanding. This is Miakoda, and last," he paused as he ushered Tyria out from behind Blackheart's legs, "I believe you know this young lady."

Tyrande's eyes widened as she dropped down to her knees and slowly put a hand on Tyria's shoulder. A smile slowly formed as she said quietly, "Tyria. When I heard about Auberdine I feared I would never see you again."

The night elf girl walked forward and embraced her relative. "If it weren't for Blackheart I wouldn't be here. He saved me." She said, pointing at the worgen.

Tyrande picked her up, holding her close as she said to Blackheart, "I must thank you for saving Tyria, I'm sure she couldn't have made it without you…" she trailed off and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before her eyes narrowed. "How did you make it from Gilneas to Auberdine in time to save her, I wonder?"

A look of confusion matching his feelings crossed Blackheart's face as he considered her words. "Gilneas?" he asked. "I am unsure that I have ever been to Gilneas." As the words left his mouth, a sudden influx of darkness which seemed to suck in the light came from the human king. Standing in his place was a worgen that equaled Blackheart in size. Blackheart's mouth dropped open. That human had just… changed into a worgen.

Stepping forward the worgen came face to face with Blackheart, staring deep into his eyes. The new worgen asked, "Who are you, worgen? Where did you come from? How is it that you claim to have never been to Gilneas but can still talk to us? If you never came from Gilneas how did you come about the potion that kept all of us sane?"

Blackheart could feel the challenge radiating off of this worgen, could smell the scent of a leader of the pack. It felt very much like he wanted to obey this worgen without knowing why. He shook his head trying to clear it as he answered, "My name is Blackheart, though as a human I was known as Kaleth. I… it is hard to remember everything about where I came from before I was turned. I do not know of what potion you are talking about, and neither do I know why I am sane other than some fluke that kept my humanity."

The kingly worgen circled him then, sniffing the air and appraising him. "Blackheart is it… my name is Genn Greymane. I am the king of Gilneas… or was until the forsaken pushed us out of our home. I can tell by your scent you are speaking the truth, and I saw by your expression you have never seen us transform before… I can only assume you do not possess the ability. Gilnean born or not, you, my people, and I share a bond through this curse that goes beyond what country we were born in. As someone who has shared the pain of isolation because of that curse, I am obliged to offer you what all of us now possess: the ability transform back into a human."

The offer hit him like a rock. He was too stunned to speak for a few moments. Become human again? He had never thought it would actually happen. Until meeting Kalara he hadn't even been able to recall any of his human memories, and now there was a chance for him to live a normal life. He looked down at his clawed, furry hand. Slowly flexing it, he realized he couldn't imagine his own human hand in its place. Had it been so long seeing his natural born body that it wasn't possible to imagine it anymore? Would he look in a mirror as a human and not recognize the reflection he saw? He didn't know the answer to those questions. His contemplation was broken by Kalara rubbing his arm. When he looked to her she smiled and nodded. "What must I do?" he asked of the worgen.

King Genn smiled then, and in a flash of light and smoke he was a human again. "Follow me." The king led Blackheart and the rest of the group to the Howling Oak, explaining along the way of their exodus to Darnassus from Gilneas at the hands of the Forsaken. Miakoda was surprised, and angered, to hear about the Forsaken's use of the plague; when she returned home, whenever that may be, she would report it. Along the way, the smells of thousands of worgen assaulted Blackheart's nose. Generally the smell of even a few worgen were enough to set his hair on end and send him looking for a way to escape, but these smells they were of… home was the best sensation he could describe it as. It was as if the smell of this place was purposefully meant to convey comfort and welcome.

The others in his group were looking around in amazement. There were hundreds of visible worgen, as well as the rest of the Gilnean's that had accompanied them. While the others just took in all of the sights, Kalara's interest was piqued by a small family that was nearby. She watched as the husband kissed his wife and hugged his son before transforming into a worgen, much to his son's delight, and running off to work or some other errand. Next she saw a female worgen acting as a horse for a small child, riding him around on her back for a short pace before turning back into a pretty human woman and picking up the child. She smiled at the thought of all of these people making life happen, and at the thought that, even though some were worgen, making a family could still happen.

As Genn led the group to a small grove he talked for a short while with Blackheart, learning of his acceptance at Azure Watch through his actions. Once they reached the grove, they saw that it was completely empty except for three pedestals atop which rested basins of water. He could smell the water from here, and it definitely wasn't from a local stream. Furthermore, each basin seemed to have its own distinct smell that set it apart from the rest.

Standing slightly behind the basins, Genn spread his arms, motioning to the water contained within. "These three wells, Balance, Tranquility, and Fury, were brought with us from Gilneas. They each contain water from Tal'doren, a place where the original worgens came into being. All you must do is drink from these three basins. When you have finished, you will be able to fully master yourself as a worgen… and as a human. You are the first worgen that I have met to be able to maintain control over their humanity without the help of our alchemy or these three wells. I can only assume that the strength of will you possess is second to none. My people have known the fear you have shared, that of isolation from the rest of Azeroth. The night elves have shown us a superior amount of kindness, first in teaching us to master ourselves and second in allowing us into their home to share as our own for the time being. This acceptance that I have been so proud to accomplish with the help of all of my people, you have done all on your own starting in Azure Watch. Despite your appearance you seem to be surrounded by friends and comrades in arms without the need of an Alliance proclamation declaring us allies. We need exceptional worgen like you to help rebuild our nation. With this gift that I bestow upon you of turning human again, I ask one in return. Join us as Gilnean. You do not even need to participate in our military or political affairs, merely representing our nation as a citizen is enough. I have known great people, and I sense greatness from you."

Leaving his group behind, he stepped up to the basins. Not only was this king in front of him offering the gift of humanity, but that of citizenship and a nation to call his own. "I would be honored." Blackheart said with a bow. At Genn's nod, he tentatively approached the first basin, the Well of Balance. It smelled of ancient magic and… like a night elf, but slightly different somehow. He slowly cupped a handful of the water and lifted it to his lips. A voice, seeming to come from everywhere at once, said to him, "Let the scythe unbind that which was not meant to be bound! Let the soul master the beast, lest the beast master the soul!" When he looked to Kalara and the rest of his group it was clear those words had been for him and him alone.

The next well, Tranquility, smelled equally as old as the first but also smelled like a worgen. Drinking this water he was unsurprised when a voice told him, "Just as Dral'nir soothes the cursed druids who gave into the beast and abandoned balance, let Tal'doren soothe you."

Finally was the Well of Fury, and its smell matched its namesake. The smell was that of pure rage, but the creature associated with the well was that of a wolf, not a worgen. Blackheart took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and plunged his hands into the well and drank. He heard the voice say, "Just as Goldrinn's spirit once blessed our druids, be blessed with the wisdom of his race and the ferocity of the wolf god." He could feel something within him, a torrent of feeling running through his entire body. At first he felt normal, but slowly that feeling began to change. It felt like his fur was changing into… skin. His legs were straightened out to be like those of humans, and he no longer had an elongated face. His senses were dulled, and his back straightened. As soon as it seemed he was what felt like human again his feeling shifted back towards that of the worgen. He could once again smell all of the complexities of the forest around him. He could hear everyone's steady breathing and he felt his teeth and face elongating into that of the vicious worgen. This flux happened many times until he was unsure whether he was a human, worgen, or something in between. When he opened his eyes and looked to his hands he saw… fur. He was a worgen still.

When he looked up to Glenn the king nodded. "The change will not happen all at once, and will not be complete until you yourself master it. I would suggest finding some place you can be without disturbance, possibly the inn, and focus on your inner self. You must learn to exercise control over your own body. Drinking from the wells only grants you the ability to master yourself. The final act comes down to you."

Nodding to the king, Blackheart suddenly felt very exhausted. He looked to his companions then. "Let's find an inn."

Blackheart had been staring at a mirror in his small room for the better part of an hour when he heard a knock at the door. Acknowledging the visitor, Kalara came in and shut the door quietly behind her. Blackheart was sitting on a stool, still looking into the mirror as she walked up behind him and put her hands on his bare shoulders, his armor and shirt in a pile on the bed. "How's it going Blackheart?" she asked.

"I… do not know." He replied. He had been focusing on his inner self, as Genn had said, and what he saw now was quite different than what he remembered. It was almost as if two bodies were alive inside him at the same time. The entire concept of it was hard for him to grasp. He had finally boiled it down and thought he knew how it worked. Despite what form he may be in at the current time, he existed as both a worgen and a human. It was not as if it was some kind of extra ability. He did not become a worgen for more power like a warlock might shapeshift, they were not two separate forms. He merely was both a worgen and human at the same time, the difference as negligible as that of having both eyes shut or both eyes open. Like two sides of the same coin, and he merely had to control his body enough to decide which side landed up. It seemed simple enough… but he would see what happened when he put it to the test.

He stood and walked to stand in front of the mirror. Kalara was there beside him, rubbing his back idly. "You should probably stand back." He said. "I'm not… sure what's going to happen when I try this." Blackheart could smell the concern and worry coming from her, but she stepped back and gave him room.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a short while before closing his eyes and focusing on his inner self. He could sense his human side as if it was just under the surface of his skin. He started to focus completely on his human side, on how he would feel and sense things as a human. It was somewhat harder since he didn't actually know what he looked like, but he could feel the sensations in his body shifting. It was gradual at first; he could feel the fur itching to recede into his skin and his gums tingling where his teeth would shorten. That's when the pain hit.

In an instant pain flashed throughout his entire body, as if every nerve sensor was flaring at once, but it was gone as quickly as it came, taking with it all feeling. In an instant he was no longer seeing from his eyes. Instead he was outside his familiar worgen form in a stark white plane… and standing next to it was a human. Recognition slowly came to him: that was his body. Slowly he forced himself to move towards it, and when he touched his human body, the world, all of his memories as a human, and the horrible pain snapped back into place.

Kalara gasped as Blackheart threw his head back and his body convulsed and he grunted in pain. A light colored smoke was slowly forming around him, and she could hear and almost feel the painful sound of bones realigning to fit his human form. He pitched forward suddenly and she could see his claws digging into the flooring of the inn. Soon the shroud of magical smoke inched across his entire body, hiding it from view. It crept over his outstretched claws and lingered a moment when he was finally obscured. It then receded to reveal a human's hand, clawing at the floor. In flash of dim light the smoke vanished entirely, leaving a human, huddled up and still shaking, lying on the floor. He had done it. Blackheart was a human once more.

Blackheart was still trembling as he tried to stand. Having nearly every bone in his body changed around and reformed had left him unsteady and disoriented. The memories now flooding through his head had left his mind muddled. Where exactly was he, and what had he been doing? He tried to stand and stumbled as he got to his feet. Instead of meeting the floor as he expected, however, he was caught by Kalara. She had rushed to his side and was supporting him, her arm around his waist and her shoulder under his. He looked at her as she helped right him. Kalara was there… that's right. She had been with him when had tried to… turn into a human. His cognizance started filtering back to him then. He gripped her shoulder to steady himself and… had her skin always been that soft? She was looking up to him and… he was shorter, still taller than her, but significantly shorter than before. The arm she had wrapped around his waist was warm to the touch of his skin and… he had regular skin now. He looked down to his hand that was gripping her arm. No fur, no claws, all of his fingers. He reached his hand up to feel his face. It had the shape of a humans face. No fur and no fangs. That's when he remembered there was a mirror in front of him.

Standing in the mirror staring back at him was a human that he was starting to remember. For a human he was quite large, seeming to be around seven feet tall. His body was very well defined, but also carried quite a few scars, the most prominent of which were two large scars on his neck. When he reached to touch them he had to fight from flinching when the vision of a worgen leaping and latching onto his neck flashed into his mind. He felt along his face as he looked at it in the mirror. He had a medium width jaw and high cheekbones. His eyes, while they had returned to being a human's eyes, still retained their icy blue coloring. He had jet black hair which ran down to his shoulders, but no facial hair to speak of. He took some time to analyze his own face and… reliable is what came to mind. It was always hard to evaluate one's self but he wasn't too handsome or too ugly… maybe somewhere closer to the handsome spectrum if he wasn't giving himself too much credit. But reliable is what struck… the face of someone that could be trusted. Not a bad quality to have.

"You've looked at yourself enough, my turn." Kalara said before she reached up and gently pulled his face around to look down to her. She took some time in examining him, frowning as she ran her fingers over the scars on his chest and neck. "So many scars…" she whispered as she traced them on his chest and stomach. She gasped as she came to his head though. "Your ear!" she said. Blackheart reached up and felt his left ear and looked in the mirror once more. The top tip of his left ear was missing. Apparently scarring that occurred as a worgen carried over to his human body. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Strange." He said, and that was exactly how he felt. He knew that he was a human now, with a normal human body, but he could still smell and hear things like he was a worgen. From Kalara he could smell the natural scent of her body as well as the scent of concern and happiness. He could still hear things going on all throughout the inn. It was like he was still a worgen, he just happened to be looking like a human. All of this reaffirmed his theory that there were no great differences, and that it was one body at the same time as it was two.

"And what about your memory? Has anything come back to you?" she asked.

"It's there. All of it. Whenever I changed back into a human, all of my memory returned with it… but it's hard to focus on any one thing. Simply put I just don't think my mind can handle a lifetime's worth of memories being dumped on it all at once. There are certain things that I can recall perfectly, such as my mother's name, Angie, but I can't pull anything specific up about her. I have two siblings, and both of them absolutely love mixing molasses and honey on a biscuit for breakfast, but I can't seem to recall their names. I think that with time it will sort itself out."

"Good," she said. She had stopped looking at his scars and was examining his face now. She gave a small smile, almost to the point of giggling. At Blackheart's arched eyebrow, which reminded her very much of how he looked perplexed in worgen form, she said, "I was almost afraid you would be ugly, when quite the opposite is true. What are you going to do now that you're human?" she asked him quietly.

His eyes found hers and slowly he reached up to caress her face. When his hand did touch her face she leaned into it and closed her eyes. Her pale blue skin felt very soft and warm. His worgen form may be great for smelling and hearing, but it had nothing on the almost electric sensation that her skin gave to his human hand. He moved his hand along the side of her cheek, then up and around one of her horns, moving then to stroke her hair and then to trace the tendrils that hung down from behind her ear to her chest. His hand moved up to cup her face and he said, "What am I going to do? Something that I have desired for a long time now…"

Her eyes snapped open as he leaned down, pulled her to him and kissed her. After a short while he ended the kiss and looked down worried and somewhat ashamed, color blooming in his cheeks. "I'm sorry…" he started to apologize, "I shouldn't have…" he was cut off as Kalara grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him back down to her and she kissed him passionately. He was surprised at the act, but that surprise didn't last for long. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and lifted her off the ground and was lost in her kiss.

Neither Blackheart nor Kalara knew how much time they had spent unable to part themselves from one another. It seemed as though they just could not keep their lips apart, no matter how hard they tried… which, consequently, was not very hard at all. However much time had passed, they both could safely say it was time well spent. Blackheart was still holding Kalara in the air, her hooves dangling and her head resting on his shoulder when a knock sounded at the door. He gave her a quick kiss before he set her down. Well… it was meant to be quick. The second knock came more insistently than the first and he lightly set her down and went to answer the door.

He opened the door to find Miakoda standing there. "I was coming to see how it…" she trailed off as she saw him. "I see it went well!" she said cheerfully. "For a human you're not half bad looking." She said, giving him a playful shove that sent him stumbling into Kalara. He was still unaccustomed to the balance, or lack thereof, that his human form had. "Ooo sorry." The tauren said sarcastically. "It's about time you stumbled around with the rest of us ungraceful creatures." Miakoda smirked as she saw that Kalara was holding onto Blackheart for longer than was really necessary to right him, as well as the flush creeping into her face. "Whenever you two have… time," she said, snickering, "meet us in the common room. You both have some…" she seemed to grimace then, "visitors."

When Blackheart turned to face Kalara he could see that her normally pale blue skin was tinged with red from embarrassment. "Oh light she knows about… what about us? What are we?"

Blackheart pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head before saying, "We are us, and we are together, and that's just going to have to be good enough for everyone."

She smiled up at him before hugging him tightly. "That sounds good to me."

A short while later Kalara and Blackheart, now dressed and presentable, made their way down the stairs of the inn to the common room. Waiting for them they found Miakoda, Relarus, Tyria, and Captain Solia. Their 'visitor's, to Blackheart's annoyance were Fergus and another female draenei he did not recognize. When Kalara saw the two, more specifically the other female draenei, the smell of anger and apprehension that immediately radiated off of her stopped Blackheart in his tracks. It was almost as if she expected an attack. "What is it?" he asked her, looking around the common room suspiciously.

"Of all the forsaken people to show up, it just had to be those two." She said, seething with anger.

"I know Fergus," he said, almost spitting the name out, "but who is the other?"

"Joanna." She said. Blackheart didn't think he had heard a more venomous tone out of her than now. He waited patiently for her to explain further, but no explanation was forthcoming. He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Be at ease Kalara." He said soothingly. She looked up at him and nodded. He could still sense the anger, but it had lessened significantly.

When they made it to the bottom of the stairs, Miakoda waved the two of them over to the table and the group made room for them. Before any of them even had a chance to comment on Blackheart's new, less furry appearance, Fergus started in. "So where's your worgen guardian at Kalara? Did you finally get rid of him and learn to be sensible?"

Before Blackheart could even respond, Tyria stood up on the bench and stared straight across into Fergus' face. "You shouldn't talk about him that way, especially since he's sitting right here. He's done a lot for all of us, and you need to be nice." She said as if lecturing a child. The entire group was surprised at the small child accosting an adult, though they were coming to expect Tyria to behave strangely mature.

"Hello Fergus." Blackheart said, doing his best to keep his tone civil. The other draenei's face was a mask of disbelief. "I trust you remember our last discussion over your… etiquette?" After a few seconds, Fergus finally closed his mouth and swallowed loudly. It seemed he had nothing left to say.

Blackheart and Fergus weren't the only ones having an confrontation. From the moment Kalara had sat down her posture had been rigid as a stone. The other draenei, Joanna, had appeared to be relaxed, but the smells of her emotions were anything but. She smelled apprehensive and… condescending if it was possible.

"Hello Kalara." She said in a much too smooth voice. It instantly made Blackheart think of a predator lying in wait… and a predator Joanna could easily be. Her face appeared to be one of complete innocence, as though even if you caught her with her hand in the cookie jar it would still be hard to believe it was her. She was also extraordinarily beautiful, having a perfectly proportioned face and all the right curves in all the right places. She was wearing a low cut priest's robe, though how she got away with it being that revealing was beyond him. A saying from the army drifted up to him then. "She's the kind of woman wars are fought over." A new smell had joined those that came from Kalara: jealousy. That was one he couldn't remember coming from her before, and it burned his nose.

"Joanna." Kalara replied curtly. Blackheart didn't like the direction this conversation was heading, and it hadn't even started yet.

"How's the shaman business going? Still playing with rocks and fire?" she said with a smirk. Now Blackheart definitely didn't like this draenei.

"It's going just fine, and the priesthood?" she responded.

"Oh it's wonderful, walking in the light every day. Why just the other day I helped hundreds of orphans by reading them a bed time story after I gave food and blankets to the homeless. Isn't that wonderful? There seems to be enough work needed for someone who walks with the light that I barely have time for anything else," she said. She still spoke in a voice that was entirely too smooth, like butter made out of poison.

"Mhm, that's great Joanna," Kalara said, still short and curt. She was doing her best to control her temper, and her tongue.

"So, when are you going to introduce me to your handsome friend here?" Joanna said, openly eyeing Blackheart up and down. People were going to have to stop with this him looking good business. It was much harder to hide a blush when your face wasn't covered in fur. He got the distinct feeling that he was some a piece of meat to her, and Joanna was a cook, trying to determine the best way to tenderize and roast him. It was… unsettling.

"He's mine, and you can leave him alone!" Kalara said angrily, nearly shouting and drawing looks from others in the common room. She then flushed, embarrassed at how loud and insistent she had been.

"Do you own this man?" The priest asked in a very condescending voice. "Is he your property? Slavery is illegal dear Kalara. Does he not speak for himself?" She looked at Blackheart then and put on a smile that was… seductive was the only word Blackheart could think of, and Blackheart could smell the pheromones that this draenei was putting out. She would be very hard for a normal draenei or human to resist. To his senses though, he knew what the pheromones were meant for, and he did not approve. "What's your name big guy?" she asked, turning to him and leaning forward on her elbows on the table with an excessive amount of… jiggling.

Blackheart's eyes never left Joanna's, much to her disappointment, and he simply replied, "Blackheart."

"Mmm sounds dangerous." She almost purred. "And what's this I hear about her owning you? Surely a man such as yourself wouldn't be owned by any woman."

Blackheart looked to Kalara then, looked to the person he treasured most in this world. Her eyes were slightly cast down, still embarrassed over her outburst. Blackheart reached his hand under the table and took hers to hold. The feeling of his hand covering hers made her look up at him. He smiled at her before turning back to Joanna and saying, "Perhaps not owning like you seem to believe, but I am hers," he said with finality.

"Hmph," Joanna said, as if meaning what a shame. Her body language changed instantly, from seductive to… Blackheart wasn't sure what her body language said now. But he feared this wasn't the last time he would have to deal with the woman. "I suppose I should get to the real purpose of why we are here. Kalara you must know that it was neither Fergus' nor my own choice to come here, but we were given the task by Vindicator Valina and you just do not say no to that woman." Fergus faced grimaced at the mention of the Vindicator's name.

"What task?" Kalara asked.

After a heavy sigh, Joanna's voice sounded as though the words were being drug out of her. "We found your sister."