Chap.8
We landed quietly. Maggie and Claw were already there. "Hey guys." Eliza said quietly. We nodded at her and walked in to see her. The strange girl we first saw yesterday night. She was tall, with hair that was a slivery red, a lithe form that was still very gaunt, but still strong. Her eyes alone would have given away that she was something weird. They were a strange mix of grey, blue and oddly, amber. The two little boys were hiding behind her, peeking around her to look at us. They had the same kind of eyes she did, and they all had that strange flare on their left arms, only theirs were white and hers was kaleidoscope. One of them was sucking his thumb, the other just shy. She looked like a scared horse, jittery and nervous. I stepped forward. "I am Brooklyn. You must be the Mysteria we've heard about." I was polite. She gave a small bow. "I am Briar Tamwood. These are my brothers Roy and Cale. You know of our predicament then?" Hudson stepped foreword. "Aye that we do lass and what we want to know is: what do we do now?" She closed her eyes and said: "Well I know what you are, but now I think you should know what I am, you included Eliza." "You're a human though, aren't you?" asked Broadway. She laughed sadly. "No. I am the farthest thing form human, as you are. I can just hide it." She sighed then, but she made no mention of her brothers. Maggie asked softly "You weren't genetically made to be un-human then?" Tam looked over and shook here head slightly. I motioned over to Maggie and Claw. "They are part of Talons clan, Maggie and Claw. Claw doesn't speak, but he writes and he writes well. The only one you have not met is Fang, but I'd steer clear…" Tam sighed then. "But that is not the matter we're concerned with right now, we need to figure out a way for me and my brothers to move about undetected. Nighttime is preferable, since there are fewer people out and about. Any ideas are greatly valued here." She said with the skills of a leader born. We looked to goliath and Elisa. Even Maggie and Claw did. Elisa just looked to goliath for his views. He looked studious and his brows were drawn together to make a fearsome scowl. "We will keep you safe, but you must remember we cannot always be there-?" she held up a hand. "I can take care of myself and them when needed. I do not expect 12 hour care nonstop, only to be there if I truly need you." Goliath looked at her with respect. She was rich, but she had the views of one who has nothing. Maggie said: "we will help you if you need us, or if you need to go underground." Tam smiled slightly, but held real sadness there. I can only assume it as because she had been running for some time now, and she was resigned to the fact that she would have to continue to run. "In the meantime, I and Elisa will be setting up a shop." Lex had to have his say now. "Shop? Like a technologies shop?" she smiled. "Almost. An auto-mechanics shop. Specialty motorcycles. Fixing or finishing." "Cool! Can I help?" "Sure, as long as no one knows you or sees you, you're fine. That is, if you don't mind sir?" she directed the last bit to Goliath. He looked surprised at the sir, but he nodded his approval. "Excellent. We will begin tomorrow night. But for now, could I get to know you guys better?" she was blushing lightly now, and she was looking off into space around the floor too. We exchanged smiles. I had no problems neither did it seem anyone else. Elisa smile. "Drinks anyone?" we gave her calls and whatnot. "So what is it that ye want to know lass?" she looked around at us, pondering things. "How old are you?" Hudson laughed his belly buster laugh. "Lass, we're older than the castle that sits atop Xanatos enterprises." Her eyes got big. "I ma only twenty three, and claw is still in his early twenties to." Tam giggled, and so did Maggie. It was a girly moment that I would never be able to understand. Oh well. "How old are you?" I asked wanting to get to know her to. "Eighteen. Nineteen in a few weeks." She was young even for a human…well not a human. But still. "What is you favorite pastime?" "Mine is figuring out the technology and devices." Lex put in thoughtfully. "Mine is eating all the food I can." Broadway said happily. "To study." Was all Goliath put forward. She smiled lightly. "Watching the TV and being around with Bronx." She looked puzzled. "Oh, you haven't met him yet. He's our dog." She looked speculative. Even after Hudson explained. I thought hard. "Riding, flying, and living." Was my answer. "Keeping the labyrinth safe and running." Claw nodded to what Maggie put in. She nodded at that. "What about you lass?" Hudson asked catching on to what I wanted. "Um…working with devices, ridding the bikes I work with, and a good challenge." Then she asked: "do you like children?" "Aye, when they're not being loud." Hudson chuckled. "Yeah! They're fun to play with." Lex offered with a smile. "They are fine, as long as they stay out of my way." Goliath put in somberly. "Sure, they're cute!" Broadway was beaming now. "Of course! They are cute and adorable!" Maggie giggled claw just shrugged with a smile. "Yeah I guess I do. Why?" was my reply. In answer she beckoned, I believe it was Cale over. She was talking softly to him and he was still sucking his thumb. He looked over at us with wide somber eyes. He then walked over to me and gave me the briefest of glance before he hugged me. I was really surprised. She was smiling tenderly. I gave him a tentative hug back, and he walked over to her again. "That's why. He doesn't really talk, but he has great ways of expressing himself, don't you?" he pulled a ridiculous face and smiled. She laughed. We smiled at the sight. "You should do that more often lass." She looked startled. "Do what?" "Laugh." I said gently. "I haven't had much reason too I suppose." She looked away and we saw the glimmer of unshed tears. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. Goliath looked understanding, Elisa, Maggie and Claw too. "We understand Tam. Believe me, we do." She nodded and wiped a rough hand across her eyes. Then one of the boys asked, he was so innocent he didn't know any better, the one question that was going to hurt for quite some time. "Sissy, when do you think we'll get to see mommy and daddy?" She looked at Roy with sad eyes. "Time can only tell, but I bet if you start talking to them as if they were here, they'd listen." His eyes got big and he asked happily. "Really? Do you really think so?" "I know so." was her saddened reply. "Boys bed time. Scoot." "Night sissy!" "Yeah, goodnight!" and they scampered of to bed. She slumped down and held her head in her hands. Elisa began to speak hesitantly. "You never did mention you parents….is there any particular reason why?" She was not happy to be asking that question. Her shoulders started to shake. It took a few second before we realized that she was crying. Silently. I went over to her hesitantly, and gave her a hug that she needed desperately. I even went so far as to wrap my wings around her, giving her something that was comforting. She let me give her that hug, and she continued to cry, hot tears plashing against my chest, and her shoulders shaking. Never once uttering a sound, lest her brothers should hear. Elisa looked sad, Goliath equally sad faced. The rest of looked on silently, wishing we could help somehow. I unwrapped my wings and tilted her head so I could look her in the eye. Her eyes were shiny, and tears were still running done her face. They made her look much younger, angelic, and above all vulnerable. I pulled her into a hug again, and I looked over the top of her head at everyone else. "We will keep her safe, and I will see to it that her aunt never finds her or hurts her again." I said softly. Everyone in the room had grim looks on their faces. "What about Xanatos?" Broadway queried unhappily. "I don't think he needs to know that his business rival is not in the best of shape right now. I think that when she wants him to know, he will know." Elisa said with feeling. We all agreed. Her shoulders weren't shaking as much, and she still had grief in her eyes, so I just held her, giving her what comfort I could. This strange girl needed us, and by the listening gods, we would keep her safe. I sat with her for the rest of the night. Goliath and the others discussed how we would check up on her, and her brothers. We decided that we would take turns and we would all carry something that would allow us to reach the others quickly. We had been thinking about this for quite some time, these events just solidified things. I had felt many strange scars on her, but I didn't say a word. She was quiet and when I took a glance at her, she was sound asleep. No wonder. From what I had heard she hadn't slept for at lest two and a half days. "Elisa?" I asked softly. She looked at me and saw her asleep. "The bedroom with the boys, there's two beds, and they boys are sharing one." I nodded and scooped her up. She wasn't really heavy, and she was mostly muscle, besides she herself as a young woman. If she wasn't human, what was she? I set her on the bed gently and pulled the cover up around her. I left her sleeping and walked back out to the others shutting her door behind me. "I think we have enough to work with right now." Elis said quietly. We all nodded. It was almost sunrise anyway. Elisa gave all of us a hug and we said our goodbyes. Then we took off. The night breezes were warm and soft, but we were in no hurry. Besides the tower wasn't that far off. "Do you think that her aunt is looking for her right now?" Lexington asked. "Without a doubt, but I don't think that she had any idea of what briar was going to do. No signs or word she let slip, so I'm pretty sure she's safe for the moment." Hudson added. So that was fine. We had arrived at the castle. We had fifteen minuets to spar before the sun rose. We had our own thought to deal with so it was rather quiet, and then we got into our places for the day…..then there was oblivion.