Callina Sienna

As the small town of Matri appeared below me, I sighed. It had been almost two days of hard walking for me to get to the town from where Seraphina, Elora, and I had set up temporary camp on top of one of the mountains, and although one of them could have just flown me in, I had told them I wanted to do this alone.

I sighed, running a hand through my travel-messy hair as I thought back to the conversation the three of us had had only a few days ago.

"Callie, I'm all for you being the leader, but you can't keep insisting you do everything yourself. Remember Cat Sith? If we had all gone in together-"

"I didn't need your help!" I had protested, my frustration evident. "I could have handled it."

"Please," Seraphina then scoffed from her lounging spot in the corner. "We barely got you out of there. Just admit it, Callina. You aren't perfect, and you can't do this all on your own."

"I'm going down there myself," I had stated, daring the others to disagree. "And you two are going to stay up here and wait for me to finish. Agreed?"

"Fine. But if you jeopardize this-"

"Seraphina, threatening me will get us nowhere. I'm leaving at dawn."

And so I had, starting my walk thirty-six hours earlier. Now, as I approached the town, I considered the conversation.

While it was being had, I was angry. That much I knew - angry at myself for needing help. Not a challenge had gone by without me being rescued by someone, either the other two or, with the humans, the Archangels. I had to prove that I could do something - anything - alone.

The town was just rising in the morning sun, and only a few people were about. I approached one young woman, barely looking older than me, who was sweeping the front stoop of a small bakery.

"Miss?" I said, snapping her out of her work. She stopped humming a sweet tune and smiled at me.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where I could find-"

"The Oracle?" She smiled wider at my stunned face. "Oh, don't worry. It's not as if you have some sort of aura. But there have been many come to find the Oracle recently, although-"

"Yes?" I asked eagerly, noticing her face drop slightly. She shook her head a fraction, as if to clear it, and shrugged.

"Oh, it's just that, well, the Oracle hasn't been very responsive lately. She turned the others away. Perhaps you could wake her up."

I chewed on the inside of my mouth. "Why me?"

She smiled knowingly. "I just have a feeling. Wait just one second-" She stepped inside the shop, returning a few moments later with a map and a small pastry. "Here. The map has directions, and you look hungry."

I smiled. "Thank you for the bread. And for the help." She gave me a small smile before waving me on my way.

I bit into the warm, sweet scone as I examined the map. The Oracle's temple was marked by a large eye, and I couldn't believe I had missed it before - it was huge. I rolled up the map, swallowed the last bite of scone, and started towards the temple, a little ways out of the town.

It was big - the columns in the front made it look even bigger. There didn't seem to be any guards for the white marble building, and the door was wide open, so I took one last glance around and stepped inside.

The outside, all airy stone, had not prepared me for the dark wooden hallway I found inside. Even with the wall sconces every few feet, there was barely any light, and I wasn't sure that I could make my way all the way down the hall without stumbling over my own feet.

As I approached the large enclosure at the end of the corridor, though, the hall got brighter, due to the large fire burning in a grate on one side of the spacious atrium. There was a figure, tall and strong sitting in front of it, gently coaxing at the flames with a poker. I stopped a few feet behind them.

"Madame?" I spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb her, though it almost seemed like she hadn't heard me before she spoke.

"What is your name, child?"

"I am Callina Sienna, Oracle. I wish to-"

"What are you? Not human, that's certain. Nor vampire or werewolf. Perhaps fae?"

"No, I am not of the Fair Folk. I am an angel, Oracle."

"An angel?" I could hear the surprise in the Oracle's voice, mixed with planning. "Perhaps," she muttered to herself, then, "No, no. It would never work."

"Forgive me, madame, but what would never work?"

She turned to me for the first time, and I saw her face - younger than one would have thought, but a fae that would have been utterly unremarkable, were it not for the eyes, which held all the sadness of the world. For the first time, I realized what the gift of prophecy did to people.

"I have foreseen a great disaster, Callina Sienna, and I am powerless to stop it. Only one is able to, but if I give the responsibility to the wrong person, all will be lost. I am shielded from the visage of the savior, and I do not want to make the wrong move, Miss Sienna. Surely you understand."

"I do, madame. And I assure you, if anyone is able to stop this disaster, it is me. Please, madame, let me help."

"Miss Sienna, the prophecy cannot be repeated once it is spoken. If I lay this burden on you, you will have a hard time in your quest, and if you fail, no one will be able to pass. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, madame. And I promise you, I will do all I am able to so that I am able to stop the disaster."

"I trust you, angel."

I bowed again and waited as the Oracle stoked the fire, pausing for moments to sput strange words. Finally she took a deep, smoky breath and turned to me, her voie rasping as she spoke.

"The mountain has been restful for so long, eons have passed with it asleep. But the mountain cannot slumber for longer, no longer will its eyes shut keep. In three days time 'twill wake and shudder - the boulders will create a city covered. Only one can stop the fall - only one, one above all." She finished with a wailing rise and lifted her arms to the sky - just as swiftly, she crumpled to the ground.

I rushed to her side, lifting her head carefully, but there didn't seem to be any damage. The Oracle coughed and whispered, "Quickly now, Miss Sienna. You have until sunset. Fly on your angel wings. Warn the town."

I nodded. It was all up to me now.

As I reached the town, I started seeing it differently - the small, bustling shops seemed frivolous now that the entire town was to be destroyed. Unless I stopped it.

"Excuse me?" I said to the young woman I had spoken to before. She smiled at me, once again putting down her broom.

"Did you see the Oracle, then? Did she give you what you needed?"

"Yes, I saw her, but I didn't get my information. I- I need your help."

The young woman looked surprised. "Me?"

"Yes. I need to speak to the town, the whole town. Is there anyone who could rouse the sleeping, and gather everyone somewhere?"

She nodded once, her dark eyes flashing as she realized how serious the situation must be. "I can speak to my father."

"Your father? Who is your father?"

"The mayor, of course. I'll get his help. Wait in the square. Everyone will be there soon."

I sat on one of the benches in the square as, slowly but steadily, people trickled in - old, young, belligerent teenagers woken from their late-sleep. There was a general murmur of questions pinging around the square, everyone wondering what the meeting was for.

Finally, the girl and a man who looked almost exatly like her - same nut-brown skin, dark wavy hair, and piercing eyes - stood on a small stage in front of the group. The two hundred people, give or take, waited silent for their leader to speak.

"My daughter called this meeting," he began, "for she said that a stranger, a traveller, needed to speak to us. I now invite that traveller up here to speak."

The girl spotted me, although it seemed that the crowd turned to look at me too. As the only member of the company with red hair and pale skin, I was sure to stand out.

The mayor helped me up onto the stage, then stepped back, allowing me the floor. I took a deep breath and looked out on the many faces staring up at me.

"My name is Callina. I am a traveller - my journey has taken me many weeks thus far, and it is not finished yet. But it brought me here, to your town, to consult your Oracle of Echoes. Instead of giving me the information asked for, she gave me a different prophecy, and a task. You are all in danger."

The statement brought a gasp to the lips of the crowd, and I rushed to explain. "Do not worry. It will not come to pass soon, and you are in no danger - if you trust me."

"Callina," the mayor whispered, a hand on my shoulder, "be careful with what you say. The people do not take kindly to tricks."

"It isn't a trick," I argued. "The-" I stopped forcefully - it felt like my words had been stuffed back down my throat. So the Oracle was right when she said I couldn't repeat the prophecy.

I swallowed and started again. "The prophecy she has given me cannot be repeated, but it is serious, and you need to listen to me. Everyone must evacuate the town before sunset, or else the prediction will come true."

"Can you tell us what the prediction is, Callina?" the girl asked. I shook my head.

The mayor cleared his throat and stepped to the edge of the stage. "While it seems that Miss Callina is telling the truth, and the town is in danger, I do not know if anything can be done. We are not a people to run away from danger. We are a people to fight! To face the enemy head-on!"

No! I wanted to shout. No, you can't, avalanches aren't something you can fight, not something you can scare into submission. Please, listen!

Of course, no one could listen when I was saying all of it in my head.

I stood again. "You may be people to fight, but the disaster is not going to be something you may be able to." I realized too late that I sounded as cryptic as the Oracle herself, something that would not ally me to the townspeople.

Indeed, they gave what seemed to be a collective shrug. "We will!" someone shouted. "We will defend the town! And our honour!"

I sighed. The mayor took over once again, but this time, I ignored his speech, instead pulling the girl aside.

I stared into her dark eyes with all the sincerity I could muster. "Please," I whispered to her. "I can't save them on my own."

She nodded. "What can I do?"

"Convince them. I'll be back."

I started towards the nearest road out of town, hoping to find something that could help against the avalanche. First, though, I needed to know what caused an avalanche.

I entered the temple of the Oracle of Echoes once again, this time sprinting down the long hallway and almost toppling over the Oracle, who was resting near the fire. Her eyes held a moment of hopefulness as I gasped out, "Oracle. Why is the mountain waking? What disturbed its slumber?"

She shut her eyes for one brief moment, the strange expression she had worn during the prophesying passing over her face once again. "An old hurt, a wound never healed, an injury too painful to ignore for longer."

My mind fixed on one word - healed. "Oracle, is there a way that the wound could be shut, the pain could be lessened? Could a healer dispel the hurt?"

She nodded once, but added in a guarded tone, "It would take a masterful healer, one not tired by the years. Callina Sienna-" She broke off, her voice reflecting all the pain of the mountain. Her home was in danger, and she had on me to save it. "Can you?"

I nodded. "I will do my very best. The mountain-?"

"The smallest. Bukid. It is the one my temple rests against. Go now, Callina Sienna, before it is too late."

I nodded and bent, instinctively, to kiss the Oracle's forehead. "I promise you, Oracle, I will save your town."

I almost ran into the mayor's daughter again outside the temple - her face was flushed dark, and her hair was escaping its tight cornrows. "I have almost convinced them. Callina, are you-"

"I'm healing the mountain."

She simply nodded, which wasn't my expectations for someone who seemed so normal when faced with as preposterous a sentence as that. "Go quickly."

I let her go, racing back into town, while I turned to face the mountain. It wasn't huge by mountain standards, but by human standards it was still a very large hill. I sighed and racked my brain. Where to start?

It had been ages since I had done a proper healing, past just the minor scratches we had accumulated over the course of the journey. Miraculously, no one had been seriously injured so far. But that meant I was out of practice.

I took a deep breath. "Well, Callie," I muttered to myself, "back to basics."

I washed my hands and lay them on the cool stone of the mountain. The rock seemed to hum under my palms; I had never thought of mountains as living before, but this one seemed to be.

I shut my eyes, and as I would with any patient, asked, "Where is the pain?"

The mountain answered back, its strange vibrations creating words in my mind; the voice sounded like it was sleeptalking. At the top, little one. The top is where it all began. Hurry, or it will wake me fully.

I nodded. "I will help you, o mountain. Please, stay asleep."

I will try, little one. There is a path that will take you straight to the top. Look for the golden flower.

I started circling the mountain, my eyes searching for the golden flower, whatever that meant. I saw the path, worn down by many feet, before I spotted the tiny, metallic blossom at the mouth of the path. I touched the mountain for a second again to whisper, "Thank you."

It was easy enough for me to race up the path - it followed the least steep inclines of the mountain. Still, it took me almost two hours to reach the top, and when I did, the mountain groaned beneath me. You're running out of time.

I knelt at the summit of the mountain, my breaths short - while the air wasn't quite thin enough to cause lasting damage, my head still spun slightly from the climb and the thinned air. I spread my palms out flat on the rocky top, straining to feel the pain of the mountain.

It groaned beneath me. Please, little one. I can't keep myself asleep much longer.

I pressed my hands harder onto the cool stone, reaching inside myself for the hard part. I lifted one hand to clutch the locket I wore - its warmth focused my power until only one thought was left in my head.

Heal.

I could feel the mountain groaning beneath me, and I could feel my power being siphoned away, but still I pushed. Heal. Heal. The rock grew warm to the touch, until it was almost burning and my power was exhausted. I let myself fall to the ground and sighed.

The mountain sighed with me. Thank you, little one. Now I can sleep.

I smiled for barely a second before I, too, fell asleep.

I woke hours later, with the sun almost fully set. I almost panicked, before I remembered that the crisis was averted. The town was safe.

I sat up, stretching, and paused. I had thought I had woken naturally, but I could hear someone calling my name. I stood and yawned for a second before stumbling down the path.

The voices became more distinct the closer I got, and soon I was sure enough that they belonged to Elora and Seraphina that I yelled, "Here! It's me!"

They rushed up the path to me, relief evident on their faces. "Callie!" Elora squealed. "We thought we'd lost you. Only Tanika could give us a tiny clue to where you'd been."

"Who?"

"Tanika - the girl you talked to, like all day? The mayor's daughter?" Seraphina prompted. It was only then that I realized I had no idea what her name was before.

"Of course, I told her I would be up here." I smiled. "You woke me just in time. I did it."

"Did what?"

"The Oracle gave me a task - save the town. She told me a prophecy. . ." As we walked down the mountain, I explained to them the events, ending only when we reached the bottom. Then, I remembered my real reason for being here.

"I never got the information. Wait here, I'll ask," I told the others, stepping inside the marble building for the third time that day.

The Oracle was waiting, smiling for the first time since I had seen her. "You did it, Callina Sienna. You averted the prophecy."

"Thank you, Oracle. I was wondering, if you could perhaps-?"

"Information, of course. For the World Tree?"

"How did you know?"

The Oracle laughed. "My dear, it would be more surprising if I did not know."

"I wish to know of the Guardian of the tree. Is it-"

"Shhh."

The Oracle leaned in to whisper the information to me, then fixed me with a regal stare. "Remember, you cannot repeat this information. Use it wisely, Callina Sienna. I thank you." I bowed once more before leaving the Oracle and her smoky fire behind, looking marginally happier than before.

Elora was the first to ask. "Well? Do you know what the Guardian is?"

"Yes, but I can't tell you. You'll just have to trust me. Okay?"

"Whatever you say, leader." I smiled and linked arms with Elora and Seraphina.

"Fly me up and we can talk at camp."

"Oh, yeah, about camp," Elora started as the two of them extended their wings.

"What happened to the camp?"

"Uhm, you'll see."

And see I did - the camp was in ruins, the supplies I had fought for almost completely destroyed. I sighed and picked up a tattered blanket. "What happened?"

"We had a bit of a run-in with another group," Seraphina explained. "It wasn't fun. We, uh, severely injured one of them. A fae." I gasped, and only then noticed the blood staining the ground.

"Are you two all right?"

"We're fine, Callie. And even if we weren't, you're not in much of a position to help us. You need rest. Here." Elora handed me one of the few blankets that wasn't ripped to shreds. "Sleep, Callie."

I nodded, took shelter under one of our gouged tents, and let myself go to the blackness of rest, but before I did, I could have sworn I felt the mountain I had healed rumble out another Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elora Reed

The hot sun scorches my neck as Callie and I walk across a path in a barren forest. My hair, which usually falls gracefully over my back, is pinned up in a high bun on the top of my head. The bulky combat boots that I took as my token suddenly get really hot and I have to take them off and hold them in the crook of my arm.

I look over at Callie to see her whole face is beet red and she has her long, white dress, which usually falls to the floor, cut off at a weird angle at the top of her knee.

"How much longer do we have to walk to this tree?" complains Callie as she dramatically falls to the ground

I pull out the map out of my sidebag and unroll it, "It's actually not that far from here. I need to see someone first." I tell her

"Who could you possibly need to see? I'm your only friend who's not dead."

"True," I say with a little laugh, "But who I'm seeing is not a friend. They're going to help answer some questions I have."

"How could you have any questions? Our leaders clearly told us to find the tree and claim it back to the power of good. What's confusing about that?"

"No, I clearly understood what the task was, just my leader told me a little more than yours did. He told me there is a great and terrible creature that guards the tree. No one really knows what it looks like or what it is. The only thing that does know what it is, is the Oracle of Echoes." I say. I continue to walk along, but Callie runs up in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

"I'm sorry. Did you say 'it' ? As in not human?"

"Yeah. An it." I snap at her, annoyed at all of her questions. I speed up my pace, trying to reach the cave of the clairvoyance a bit faster.

~~~~~~~~~

When we finally get to the cave, I stop and turn to face Callie who I thought was right behind me, but when I look, she's no where to be found. I look up and down the path until I finally spot her, at the bottom of the hill.

"So are you coming or not?" I scream down to her. I hear her give a loud and throaty breath and I can almost feel her rollin her eyes.

"Hurry up, or I'm going in without you."

"Fine!" she says, and she quickens her pace . As soon as she's about 5 yards away from me, I walk into the dark cave. Inside, I'm greeted by crystal orbs, posters and old indie jewellery.

" Hello." says a voice hidden I the corner, there face hidden from view. The sudden noise startles Callie and I so much, we almost fall to the floor. After we've gained our confidence and our balance back up, I approach where the sound is coming from.

" Hello. Um... my name is E-"

"I know your name dear Elora and I also know your friend Callina's."

"Um.. actually it's Callie."

The voice starts to move, and a figure appears in the dim light. The woman looks old and tired, with heavy bags under her eyes and wrinkly skin, "Yes dear, I know. I also know what you are here for. Your here for the information on the fierce creature who guarded the tree. Before you get your information there are a few things you need to know. " At those words, the oracles eyes sparkle a light blue and a light so bright, I have to shield my eyes.

"For the information you seek

There is one promise you must keep

In three days time you will find

A danger to the town and the world combine

An avalanche so big and wide will fall from the mountain top

And on the town it will flop

In order for the information you want to get

You must save the town of Tikit"

As soon as the Oracle finishes her prophecy, I pick up my head, "Thank you very much for your time. I'll be sure to use your words wisely." I walk out of the cave with Callie trailing behind me, and I feel proud with the information we have until Callie starts to speak.

"What was that about. It was the craziest thing I've ever heard. And what was up with that last line because it didn't rhyme."

"I bet you understood it clearly. Besides, I can't even repeat the prophecy even if I wanted to. You know that."

"Yeah, but."

"But what? All we need to do is... You know." I continue to walk along on the path to the town, listening to the sound of Callie's feet trudging behind me.

When we get into the town centre,I look around for a high point where I can make my announcement. It takes me a while, but I finally spot a small stage in the middle of the square. I take a step on to the platform and between the cuts of my sandals, I feel the soft carpet tickle my feet. I think about what I might say I open my mouth to speak,"Everyone you need to get out of here now!" I scream in the town center,

" There's great danger ahead." Heads turn my way, and I can feel my cheeks get even more red than before. I've never liked being the center of attention and I've always gotten nervous when I've had to make an announcement. From behind me, I can hear Callie's feet, plopping onto the soft stage.

"What kind of danger?" a voice calls out from the midst of the crowd that has just formed. I give Callie a worried look that she returns. We never thought of what we were going to say if someone asked that question. What should I say? Should I play it off or just make up an answer? I decide my best bet is to try and convince people to leave.

Callie starts to walk up in front of me and I mouth the words "thank you" when she passes me,"It doesn't matter what the danger or the trouble is. You need to get to safe-" Callie is stopped mid-sentence by the rising of loud and intense shouting. There's to much noise and there's no possible way to hear anyone person.

"How are we going to make them believe us?" I scream at Callie, praying she hears me over the yells

"They aren't going to. Almost all humans rely on only fact and we have no way to prove the... well, you know what it is. We should probably go now. All of this screaming is making me really dizzy." I pull out my wings, not even thinking what the humans may think, and I fly off. I look back to see if Callie is behind me, but I find her wobbling side to side right above the ground. I quickly zoom down towards her, and I place my arms just below her underarms so I can carry her easily. It takes me a few seconds to regain my balance, but I finally take off to the sky. After a long time, the noise finally does down, and I find a leafy forest to rest in.

"There has to be something we can do." We sit there, pondering ideas when something pops into my head, " I just figured it out. What if we use our wings?"

Callie gives me a confused look, "I'm not catching your drift, Elora."

"What I'm mean is we use our wings to take the people out of the town one-by-one by flying them out of the town." I pick up a stick from the ground and use it to draw in the sand.

"This just... might work." Callie says with more gusto than she uses before

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breaking News

At least 50 people missing in the town of Tikit. The kidnappers are unknown and their methods are unknown as well. There is no pattern as to who the abductees are except for the fact that they all used to live in our small town.

Many onlookers have said that they have seen flashes of white zooming into the sky the day of the kidnappings.

In other news, two woman have caught the attention of Tikit .

The two females made an announcement in the town center saying that there was great danger coming for our town but when asked, they wouldn't confess what the danger was. The two left the scene before authorities arrived. They are described as tall and pale females, one with long red hair, hazel eyes and was wearing knee-length dress, and the other with dark brown hair, brown eyes and she was wearing a tunic with long puffy trousers. If you spot anyone with this description, please contact the police or the nearest mental health hospital.

Last but not least, there is another murder in our small town. In an alley way, a small teenage girl was found with several stab wounds. Her, as with many other young men and women, have been found dead in alley ways, bus stops and even in their in homes. If any one has any information on any deaths, please call the local authorities.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This isn't working," I say with a sigh, "There's no possible way that we could save all of these people one by one. There has to be some other way."

"I can't think of anything else. This is hopeless. We're never going to save the town, never going to get the information we need, and we're never going to save the tree." We sit in the forest for a long time with nothing but doubt and guilt in our heads. For what feels like forever, we sit there, contemplating what we did wrong when an idea pops into my head.

"Callie, get up!" I scream excitedly

"What, what?" she asks as she shoots up

"Give me your bag." I command, and she happily obliges. I start to dig in her bag for the thing I want most and I feel the sharp texture of it. I pull it out of the bag and when I do, Callie's eyes open wider than I could ever imagine; her eyes where the size of the moon.

"What are you going to do with the corpse lily?" she screams at me

"I want you to combine it with your healing powers to save the town." I hand her the flower and I pick up her bag again, and I dig out two more lilies, "We have many more lilies. I think we can spare just this one."

"And your sure this is going to work?" she asks me while giving me a worried look

"Well, no, but it couldn't hurt to try."

"Actually it could. It might destroy Tikit, it might hurt me, it might-"

"Callie!"

"Fine, I'll do it, but that doesn't mean I'll like it." She clutches the lily in her hand and walks over to a tree stump and sits down. I leave her alone because I know she needs to concentrate on her healing.

After what seems like forever, a light flashes from Callie's direction and it shoots up into the sky. I rush over to Callie to see if she's alright, and she seems as cool as a cucumber.

"I did it." she says, the doubt still fazed in her eyes.

"You did it." I repeat. All of the sudden. The ground shakes and a big rumbling comes from the mountain. We both look up to see a big snowball come tumbling down. We both turn to run but as soon as we do, the rumbling stops. We both look back to see the snowball stuck in a valley and piece by piece, it's starts to crumble away.

"You did it Callie. You saved the town."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seraphina Ayres

DID NOT HAND IN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Margaret Cleo

I woke up, sweaty, gasping.

Everything spun into focus....what was happening? I searched my clean hands for signs of blood, of fighting. I remembered my nails ripping, my teeth gnashing.

It was a dream, a dream. I was okay. I sat up slowly, feeling creaky and dirty.

I had been covered in blood.... my grandmother's blood. My father egging me on, telling me who to destroy next.

I wanted to listen.

What was more messed up than that?

It felt so real, what if it had been a memory?

~~~~

Things between Eira and I had been strained, at best, since Cestil had gone.

Missing? Dead? We had to assume the worst, and keep moving.

We had never talked about contingency plans, because our alliance was tentative.

But Cestil made me feel safe in the presence of Eira, and even though he was a demon, he actually seemed really cool and wise.

Probably because he was older than anyone I knew.

"Can't sleep?" Eira whispered hoarsely. Her face glowed in the moonlight. I cringed away from the light, knowing its pull would put me on edge.

Even though the full moon had been days ago.

"My brain apparently doesn't want me to."

"Nightmares?" I look at her sharply. She pulls her head to her folded knees, a surprisingly vulnerable position for her.

"I don't know how I'll ever sleep with them."

"They can drive you crazy." She nodded slowly, her eyes glazed over.

"When did yours start?" She stiffened, and then relaxed.

"Someone I loved more than life... they were murdered." I scoot closer to her.

"Me too, and then I.... I hurt my brother very badly when I changed."

"You're the reason he needs medicine?" I nod. She sighs.

"What if I am a monster?" my voice cracked, I was scared of what I had done, what I might do.

"Nothing ever stays the way it's supposed to when we're small and everything is simple. I wish I could just hug my mother, and say I'm sorry we went to the market that day, I'm sorry that what I've always done is push people away. I'm sure we all have regrets. Lately..." I almost put my arm around her, but then think better of it. I wait for her to continue.

"Lately I feel as though she's watching me, not liking what she sees. I need more than what I have now, maybe we should really help one another. You just want to heal the tree, and then I can give the control of it to my elders." This time I do put my arm around her.

"You're right." There's silence for long enough I wonder if she's fallen asleep.

"When... when will I be able to sleep again without them?"

"You're strong, but you've seen a lot. So judging by me... never. I haven't slept well in decades!" For some reason, maybe it was the late night, maybe we were just slap happy.... we giggled so hard that we fell over, scaring off some little brush animals in the process.

Maybe she wasn't so bad, maybe I wasn't so bad.

Don't we all deserve a second chance?

~~~~~~~~~~~"If you wish to gain, you must first glean,

a task we have foreseen for you and your means.

A town below where we reside, is at risk from the mountainside.

The snow will fall, and gather and crush,

a town's life will be gone in a rush,

unless you can save all and come back

alive and well. Stories will tell

at the sun of midnight black, then there will be no turning back."

The shaky voice quivered out of existence, not making sense in the young, and rather attractive face in front of me. The man staggered and rubbed his eyes.

"It didn't even fully rhyme." I scoffed, and Eira elbowed me.

"Did you understand my words?" his voice was young and strong again.

"Even if I hadn't, there's no way for me to do so now."

"I know the rules." The man said coldly. Alrighty then. This was why males were not my forte.

"Okay." I nod stiffly, embarrassed.

"Oh thank you, kind seer. We are forever indebted to you." Eira was turning on the charm. He gave her a confused look and took a step back.

"Does that really work on people?" I ask her skeptically.

"Only the dumb ones." She says, looking at me sideways. That was a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one.

"So, is there any way you can be more helpful than telling us...." Something blocked the air in my throat.

I choked, coughing.

Something metallic and tangy filled my mouth, and I spit it up. Blood, a clump of it.Eira cursed.

"This is what happens to those who try to tell. It will only get worse -until you die."

"Then it can't get worse." I choke out around the awful taste of blood. The seer moves back, bowing into the shadows.

A pretty face makes not a person. I thought, wiping blood out of my mouth.

"Your teeth stained red, it's a good look. Vicious." Eira pulled up our packs from the ground.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" I coughed, more blood coming up. I hadn't even said anything, this blood had better stop soon or... I would be dead.

"We go to the town, and get the people to safety."

"How exactly will we convince them to do that?"

"Convincing isn't really the word... more like coercing. No words involved, so no more blood spilled."

~~~~~~~

"Jeez, how are we supposed to get this village to safety?" Two Hundred People. We asked the elders of the village- twice that many sheep, and four were born last night.

"Are sheep part of the deal?" Eira cleaned her nails with a knife.

"Um... I would say yes." I had to phrase everything very carefully, blood was not a pleasant taste.

"How do you figure?"

"If they starve after we get them to safety, I don't think the seers would be inclined to help us."

"Hm. How ungrateful." We were sitting outside, and sadly, the snow had already started. Eira pricked herself with her knife and shook her hand away. "I hate this! The waiting... everything... We need to know when it will happen!"

"Well... You heard the words... it sounds like a new moon."

"Excuse me for not being so well versed in the night time activities of the moon. When will that be?"

We had been traveling for ten days. We had been waiting for Cestil for three days. It takes 29 and a half days for the moon to cycle over. So half of twenty nine was fourteen and a half, plus the half of the half would be fourteen and three quarters.

But the half days throughout the year added up. So would the new moon be tomorrow or the day after?

"It's tomorrow or the day after.... I think. But I mean it's hard to know without a map."

"A map?"

"where we are and a moon map.... most towns have them, especially by were populations."

"Who would have them?"

"The mayor, the gatekeeper? But I don't think they know that much about Golaweres, or else they would have noticed some faults in the lie." I shivered

"Let's go then, or should you stay here?"

"What? No, I'm fine. It's cold here anyways." I look up at her from the ground.

"Oh no honey, I meant because you don't know how to charm the pants off of a doll, let alone a real man." She winked and flitted off in her stolen parka.

"From what I can tell, they look more than listen anyways." I said it to no one, she was already gone.

~~~~~~~

"Back so soon?"

"You were so right with the gatekeeper. Good call."

"And?"

"And?" Eira smiled at me innocently, fluttering her eyelashes.

"I'm not asking for your 'charming' secrets, when is it?"

"When is wh- oh fine, it's the day after tomorrow!" She spat out from the headlock I had her in. I let her go, brushing myself off.

"So how did you get them to tell you?"

"I told them there was a rogue golawere wandering around the town, 'casing the joint', ready to kill the residents in this area. And that the sheep and everyone had better leave before he gets..."

"He? Rogue Golawere?"

"Oh come on, you're huge when you change, and in our patriarchal society, people are more likely to think a male capable of violence than a female. I've used it to my advantage many times." Eira chuckled and started collecting some of the things from our camp. The sun was barely peeking over the top of the hill, and I already missed its warmth.

"Clothes off."

"What? Why?" I panicked.

"I'm not taking them off you when you've changed, and no respected rogue golawere actually has human vêtements."

"Fine." I said, taking off the gloves and hat and coat and layers and stood there shivering. Eira flicked her hand at me.

"Now change." The moon was barely up. I crossed my arms, shaking with cold.

"Why?"

"We're giving some proof to the rumors so that they'll be scared enough to leave."

"Any experts on Golawere will know that I can't do anything without a moon."

"No, no. We just need to make them scared enough." Eira smiled humorlessly.

"Now change." Eira smiled at her.

I let the shift come over me, with the sliver of moon peaking over the mountains.

"To the sheep." Eira laughed, flipping her knife around her fingers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sheep blood tastes only slightly less disgusting in a changed mouth. Because the taste still stayed with me when I shifted back.

I was exhausted. There wasn't enough moon for this to go down.

Eira helped me back to our makeshift shelter.

The snow was starting to pack down. Perfect for avalanches.

The cold crackled in the air, and I shivered myself to sleep, the blood drying or freezing against my skin.

~~~~~~~

"The villagers won't try to hunt it, right?" Eira jerked her head towards me.

"Oh honey, we've helped them move out of the danger zone, although there's still one old lady that we need to move forcibly for us to win." Eira frowned. Making it a game was strange.

"Stupid, stubborn old lady."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That is so not an old lady." Eira hissed, holding her knife across the woman's throat.

"The fey will not be pleased, Eira!" the woman snarled.

"Or, Selyse, they will be extra pleased!"

Her throat was slit. The blood gushed.

"Shouldn't we at least make this look like a golawere did it?"

"No. We don't want to unnecessarily slight the name of your species." I scoffed at her but looked away as she cleaned her knife.

"At least we didn't have to carry an old woman." Eira said. I used to think she was just being cold-hearted, but now I realized she was doing it to save what soul she thought she had left.

Because maybe if she knew she deserved it, the bad stuff wouldn't catch up to her so soon.

"Let's get out of here before some unwelcome snow arrives." Eira said, holding her hand out to me.

It made me wonder if the rules didn't count about the prophecy, if the one to hear had already heard it- if that made any sense.

"Let's, and let's go get some direction of our own." I took her hand and stood up, smiling.

~~~~~~~

"mirror demons? Mirror demons?"

"Have you not heard of them?" The stupid seer asked. Eira caught his throat in her hand.

"They are the fairy's worst nightmare. Defeating yourself, exploiting your own weaknesses. How could anyone not know about them?"

"Well, I haven't." Eira turned towards me, her eyes oddly empty, cold, closed.

"Believe me, little one, they are the stuff of nightmares. Anytime humans have had ghost stories of the mirrors being haunted, doing different things than what they did, killing, confusing, it haunts our subconscious even more than a monster we can understand. Because we're so scared of what we are capable of.

"This tree may not be worth it, nothing may be worth facing a whole slew of the damn things." Eira walked past me, letting the seer slump, gasping to the ground.

"Sh**'s about to hit the fan." She said, almost dead sounding.