Chapter 1: Learning the Truth
"Father, why do you act like you have just seen a ghost?" Arianna asked.
"Ari, you will never understand that I loved your mother with all of my heart, but I have to tell you why I lied when you asked about her." He sighed, then continued. "When you always asked where your mother was, I always answered that she was on a trip. Now I know that you are old enough to know the truth."(How can a five year old girl know any better about her own mother's death? And being at a young age?)" When you were born, the doctors couldn't do anything to save your mother. The only thing she had to do before she slipped away was to name you." Arianna looked out towards the forest and she saw a pair of eyes that didn't look like a human.
"Why do I feel like there's something missing in my soul? Is there something out there that Mother left behind? Why is there a connection to me and the trees, Father?" John looked at his daughter on her two year old filly, Hilda and replied, "If there is anything, never ever go into that forest. There are omens out there that you don't-" A howl of a threatened wolf sounded through the still and quiet forest as a large wolf (a half an inch taller than a "normal" male wolf) from the underbush that was infront of the father and daughter. It was a russet-brown colour with a bit of silver on the fore and hind legs. Arianna looked into its eyes and saw a man, no a great native chief that she should believe would have been a long time ago and beside him was a beautiful woman who resembled a bit of Arianna's features like her eyes, hair, most of her facial features. Hilda, her paint, noticed this also and she reared then took off. John, horror written all over his face said, "Oh, my God. First it was you and now our daughter. Samantha, guide our child back home when the time comes."
"Hilda, stop!" Arianna screamed. Hilda had beenrunning for a good two hours and hasn't stopped. Arianna had been pulling at the reins with all of her force and Hilda didn't pay heed to her. When, at last, Hilda stopped, Arianna got off and started to cry about never leaving home. She kept crying until she heard a disturbance in the bushes. Then the same wolf appeared and instead of attacking her, it quivered and then it turned into that man she saw in its eyes.
"Arianna," He said in a calming voice, "do not be afraid for I'm Chief Reads from the Embers. Or in better terms, Daniel Dracolin, and you are my child." She was confused. Arianna didn't even know this man, but he claims that she was his child.
"This can't be true, I'm John Smith's daughter. And how do you know who I am?" He looked from her to himself and answered, "If you saw the reflection of me with your mother, then you could ask John when you see him again, why your mother gave birth to you three months earlier? You, my child, must come with me and you will see what characteristics we have in common." He grabbed Hilda's bridal then he took Arianna's hand in his. I must be dreaming. She thought, He can't be my father. And if he is, then I'm staying with him.
"Look into the water and look at our reflections, child. Look closely at out reflections and then who will you believe?" He commanded. She looked into the small pool and noticed that her hair was around the same shade as Daniel, her nose was about the same size, only hers was a bit smaller, and her skin tone was lighter than his, but darker thn her mother's or John's. "So, everything I was told, was a lie?" Embers picked her up and said in a loving father voice, "No, he only wanted to protect you from the dangers in the forest." What would it be like if I was to change my forms like my father? She thought. He knew that his only living daughter would have to be protected with his very life.
"Arianna, just remember that you are the only thing that is left of your mother that I have left. I do not know if you can change like us, but we will have to test it out when you're older."
"Nathan, please stop making that racket!" Danielle Roberts yelled. Nathan Roberts was in his room practicing his laso for the fair in a few weeks time. "But mom, I have to practise. In a few weeks time, I'm participating in the rodeo that father wants me in! If you want, I'll go outside to do it." And that he did. Nobody complained when he was pretending he was on a horse and going after a wild mustang when his father, Christopher Roberts called him up for supper.
"You really want to get a good place for that rodeo, don't you Nathan?"
"Yes, dad. I really want to earn a good place from all my hard work."
"Well, I'm proud of you. Maria, eat your brussle sprouts, please." Danielle asked. Maria Roberts, who was five (Same age as Arianna Smith), said in a little girl voice, "I don't like them, Mom! They don't taste good like broccoli or carrots." But Nathan told her, "They will get better after a few times eating it because you're not used to eating them, right mom?"
"Right, Nathan, but you like your fruits and vegetables. Maria, on the other hand, she isn't used to eating them, so it will not taste good. But you two finish eating and head off to the living room and chose a movie to watch." Quickly, the two children ate their suppers (Maria finally ate her brussle sprouts), washed their hands and faces and headed into the living room. Nathan wanted to watch the old version of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple and Maria wanted to watch The Lion King.
"Why don't we watch that new movie, Mulan?" Nathan suggested. Maria jumped up and down saying, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Danielle and Christopher walked into the living room and sat down beside the two youngsters. By the end, Maira had fallen asleep and Danielle walked Nathan to his room. Christopher came in and tucked Nathan in, but he asked, "Dad, can you read me a story?" Christopher said, "Not tonight, Nathan. Think about you on the fastest horse in the world and you chashing a very stubborn mustang." With that, Christopher walked oout of the room and Nathan got out of bed, then walked over to the window. A star, as bright as the moon shown through the window and it looked happy from Nathan's view.
"Is there someone out there who would at least noticed me for the soul and not for the whatever it is?"
"Father!" Arianna screamed. It wasn't long ago that she enjoyed her small hike when a man popped out from infront of her and his scent was so strong, it hurt her nose. He was dressed like he was from the 80's and not the 90's. A small patch of a meadow was the only a quick run if she ran from her position. So, Arianna ran and she felt every fiber of her changing, being more alive than she had ever felt. Then from two legs, she metamorphoses nito a lovely white wolf with a bit of brown near the tip of her tail and her back legs. She was more aggresive than she knew and then she went into the attack. He was too fast for her and parried her attack onto herself. Being more careful, she interprenate her thoughts towards him and he knew that she was Samantha's daughter.
"Ha, Arianna, you can never kill me with what training you have. I'll give you fifteen years from this day to be more ready to attack me and you better finish me off or I will kill you." Then he left towards the trees farther away from the village. When she was calmed down, Arianna changed into her weakling self, but she was more powerful than she ever thought before she came to this. The Chief sat with his third wife that noticed the vampire's presence before he saw Arianna running towards them screaming and crying, "He's going to come back in fifteen years!"
"Who child? Who's going to come back?" She mumbled, "The vampire, father. He's going to come back and he's going to kill me if I don't kill him fifteen years from now." That does it. She described what he looked like and told them what had happened to her in this small story.
"White Wolf, that shall be your Native name, since you changed way before your time. And shall Laurent ever comes back, he shall know who you are before he is terminated." Said one of the Brave's sons, Sees Through Shadows. Then did everyone agreed with him, she felt safe from all possible dangers that had surrounded her and her family.
"Now all I need is the training and the skills and I'll be good enough." After that, everyone said that they will teach her.