Ev'ring clumsily moves his hands in the twisting motion, the long thin grasses wrapping around each other to create a twine. He watches his grandfather, trying to copy the fluid motions. Everett makes it look so easy, yet his own creation is nowhere near as nice.

"How did you learn?" Little Ev asks, his eyes glued to his own strands, twisting and turning in attempts to fix it.

Everett watches the pup, amusement rolling off him in light waves. "Well, a lot of practice. I was like you when Redaliya first showed me. But I got better at it, quicker too, and later I helped your great grandparents when I was a pup." Holding up the long strands woven together he examines the craftsmanship. "Once you get the hang of it, it can be useful in trades."

"Can't everyone make it though." Little Ev looks down at the grasses. "'Cause it's just made'ah plants."

"True, Ev'ring. But some shifters have a knack with it. Maybe they are particularly skilled, have special materials or methods. You never know, but it can also be used to make something more functional, like helping tie a bag closed."

Little Ev nods, satisfied with the response. Pulling the stems tighter, he carefully twists them to create a tight tension. Adding more to the end to extend it, Ev'ring focuses on this task, determined to get it right. Everett looks over every once in a while, though takes up two of his own woven stands and starts to combine them into a thicker, but stronger cord.

Everett looks out and smiles, holding up a hand in acknowledgment. Little Ev peers into the shadows to try and see what his grandfather is looking at. A figure with a brown cloak steps out, waving.

"Grandmawww!" Ev'ring launches himself into her arms, grinning.

"Hello, Exenna." Everett pulls her into a hug, giving her a light kiss. "How was your journey?"

"Nothing very interesting. I wish I could have been here sooner." Exenna flicks her brown out of her face, her eyes searching Everetts. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, of course!" Everett grins, his green eyes twinkling in the sun. "Just showing Ev'ring here how to make rope. You check in with the Alpha?"

She nods, pulling off her travelling cloak, and lets it hand over her arm. "Yes, went in and then came around to see you first. I was told you two were here having some fun."

Everett keeps Exenna closer, hand in hand, watching their grandpup. Being apart isn't too bad for a short and justified period of time, but it feels best to be back together. He nuzzles her neck quietly, as they take turns in handing out tips to Ev'ring on how to improve. Slowly but surely, they could see his work improve. Instead of a few blades of long grass being thrown together in an effort to make then stick, it now looked like a rope that could hold a bit of weight.

"Ev'ring, come, we should let your grandmother see your parents. They probably know she is here, but she came to see us first."

"Alright!" Little Ev jumps up, taking a handful of materials along. Maybe his parents would have some more tips. His fingers itch to keep going, to get good at this skill just like his grandfather. Looking up at the two shifters Ev'ring tilts his head. Just the thought of being able to change forms excited him. Being surrounded by fur and skin every day brought an innate longing to have the wind in his fur. "I wish I could be a wolf too."

Exenna glances down fondly at the young pup. Getting to his level she smiles, taking hold of his hands in hers. "You already are a wolf, my lovely Ev'ring."

Little Ev gives her a wide grin, giggling, "Oh, Grandmawwwww. I mean shifting!"

He runs around a tree, burning off energy that only a pup has to spare. A spring in his movements and a light step. Though better than before, he still carrying a bit of that unawareness that one has when not shifted. A knowledge that's very hard to learn before receiving enhanced scenes, for how can you learn something that you can see, hear, or feel?

"Grrr!" Little Ev bares his teeth like he's seen others do. The effect is less than threatening, but nonetheless his grandfather raises an eyebrow and lets out a small growl as well—light-heartedly, while his grandmother gives a dramatic gasp.

Everett and Exenna's hands touch briefly before they split and start to chase Ev'ring. He catches on quickly, pushing his short legs to work hard in order to keep ahead. His grandparents don't have much trouble, their long strides easily keeping pace, not to mention their wolves always ready to help out. The sight of the pup running prompts a game of track'n'chase to commence.

Everett dodged his mate as Ev'ring ducks under a fallen log to slow her down. Still heading towards the house, the three take a bit longer in getting their due to the ongoing game.

"Is she getting slower," Little Ev laughs playfully as he scrambles around and between obstacles that are more difficult for anyone of a larger size.

Everett chuckles, dancing away from her touch again. "Maybe she is Ev'ring, by the time she catches us it's going to be moonrise."

"You'd better run you two!"

Exenna shakes her head before—what it looked like to Ev'ring—melted down into her fur; with so much practice it only took a moment for her to go from skin to fur. Paws hitting the forest floor she flies after Everett—who in turn also fell to four feet. Nudging his grandpup along, Little Ev does his best to keep up, Everett keeping his pace slow enough to allow him to stay side by side.

Exenna barrels after them, letting loose a short howl as they all head towards the house. The door opens and the three race inside.

***

The world is there, but it's not the same. The past, the present, the future flash like lightning before my eyes. It doesn't slow, the lifetime for a shifter is nothing compared to the age of the universe. The information is an overload, I can't process it all, so the flashing colours and the beat of the years going by are all I catch.

"Balance throughout time." The voice is clear, yet it seems to resonate from the depths of the earth and the farthest corners of the forest. It rides the winds and swirls around playing with the leaves. "You are close."

Pressing my fingertips into my palms I shiver at the cool touch. An awareness of my body makes me realize I am freezing. The air is that of a normal warm night, but as it blows over me the difference is startling. As if I've been sleeping out in the snow, I am all stiff, stead of wrapped in a cloak during the warm season.

Eye still shut, my mind isn't my own either, or rather I am not completely back in my own body.

"Do not run, my child. The price must be paid and the consequence given. Balance will be restored. You have..." Neither friendly nor harsh, but I can hear the ring of truth. I should be afraid, but I am not, not yet at least.

The disconnect from my body feels like a vision, but I'm not hurting. The colours fade from my eyes and I can sense them in the background going off. They never stop, but now I don't see them. My eyelids seem to have become see-through and I look around. With my form frozen, I have no control over my muscles. Probably a good thing or else I probably would have fallen over when the flashes first appeared.

"Through life and death, the scales of balance must reign." An eeriness leaks in and the forest is colourless, only the outlines showing.

So cold.

I gain some movement back. Sore, stiff, even balancing is difficult. Peeling my eyes open, the light—even though filtered through the trees—is blinding. The colours in my mind keep going off creating this strange mix of what I'm taking in and what is actually around me. The descent is slow, just one foot after the other as my heart works hard on bringing my temperature back up to normal.

Mistepping, the air rushes through my hair and the impact on the ground is a sudden jolt. Rubbing my back, I get up unsure just where I am going. Putting my bag over my shoulder I look around as the periphery of my vision is tinted with colours.

Stumbling, a ghostly figure enters my line of sight. I recognize her. It is so startling that I take a step backwards. Visions never repeat. I glimpse snippets, sections, fragments of a timeline that out of my reach. My mind feels as if it is fractured at some points as part of my life feels as if it is stuck in an era that is not the present time.

The female, she's from before; her hair an unmistakable shade of white. She's translucent only detailed in shades. Those around her all have their backs to me as they seem to cheer her on. Last time there were two scenes and now there is only one. Good or bad, the way the world works a mystery to me. Something has changed though, something shifted, but what that is I couldn't say. What the vision was, in the beginning, was already beyond me. I could speculate, but I'd rather let it be.

Her words are silent, the only sounds are those of the forest. I don't understand what she is doing or why those around her are cheering. Then again, most visions I've learned are not meant to be understood. The point of them, well, I don't know, but they are there. If something is meant to be learned or changed, I gave up when I stained my hands a deep shade of red.

The female is so curious, her ghostly motion so confident and precise. Her stance is one of self-confidence. Perhaps of a beta bloodline like myself; an active dominate she-wolf. I feel bad for her. Watching her, I realize the other seem to like her. They don't try and challenge her but give in. It's confusing, that has never happened before. The males wouldn't allow it, even some females would push against that idea, yet there I watch as all alike seem to listen to her every word.

There is nothing that could indicate the time period. For all I know this could hundreds of years ago or eons in the future. Either way, I think I would have liked this female.

I walk as they do, we both move in the same direction. Though the way I go isn't much of a choice, the push towards my end is stronger than ever.

Gliding along the forest floor, I feel compelled to follow this vision like scene. Some change into their fur, while others keep up on foot. There are few children, not many around, probably easier to travel that way. I assume they are travelling at least for everyone seems to have bags of different items. Also, it's one of the only reasons for a group this large to be travelling together.

The sun is warm, though as always I suspect as the sun gets higher in the sky the temperature will rise. The air isn't stiflingly thick or oppressive, though that doesn't mean rain isn't a possibility.

I linger near the edge of the group; something within me knows I cannot reach out and make contact. If I did, I'm not sure what would happen, but I don't think I physically could.

Again, I pick plants here and there to eat. Some berries grow, but I don't have enough time to search for many, before having to catch up with the apparitions. If they stay around, maybe this really is just a hallucination. Maybe I'm just delusional about what's really happening here, but it feels real. The soil, the plants, the sun are all so alive and thriving. Lily's presence also shows that I am awake, my consciousness isn't some illusion or mind trick. She's never around in my visions. A strange thing for the gift to be only inflicted upon one side.

They move at a steady pace and it becomes calming as the day goes on. The itch beneath my skin and the compulsion to head to my old pack is placated. I watch with a keen interest in all that they do. Not just the leading female, but the other shifters in what seems to be a pack.

I watch inquisitively as one of the males, probably around the same number of moons as I am, starts to lag behind. A few slow down and take his load, swapping it for their own lighter ones. Another passes around dried meats and some grasses. They eat up as they start to weave the plants into a strong twine.

The cooperation is something I'd rarely seen. Then again, I have never travelled in a big group. My old pack was well established in their territory by the time I was born. I know in general the ruling was that the strong survive.

If you can't pull your weight or keep up then you'd have to be hoping that there was something you could do to make it up. You had to be useful. Make yourself valuable to the pack to those of influence and you'd be alright.

My old pack kept me and they would have sheltered me for I had uses. I may have an active bloodline, which I should have been killed for, but since I did live, they would probably have used me. I could have been sent off as a mate to another pack to form an alliance or sold as an omega, but that would have caused a fuss in the pack. Though, they thought I was afflicted with hallucinations, a childish overactive imagination, and with a will too strong. Perhaps they would have just kept me under wraps.

Amusement pulls at the corners of my lips. It is a good thing they never knew what really went on. If they had forced me to share what I saw would have ended badly for everyone involved.

The picture in my mind of my mother's horror and my father's disbelief that anyone would accept me as a mate is greatly entertaining. Father never did think much of me. As long as Nya'dein and I stayed quiet and in our place, we were just apart of the decorations; a silent background, an afterthought. Seliek was his prize and we were only there to emphasis his greatness and to do everything behind the scenes.

Oh, my mother's face would be such a mix. She cared for me I know because she's the reason I am alive, but father always ruled; his word was to be obeyed, always, unless the Alpha opposed it—which didn't happen. Father was able to run his house how he wanted with no interference. The alpha normally left us alone, trusting Father to do what was best.

Mother would pretend to be happy even if she wasn't. But I suppose it depends a lot on where I would be going and mated to who. Yet I wouldn't want to be mated and live like my mother and every other female in the pack.

My mind flashes to a small dimly lit room. Ena'vale, Cortie, Veene, and Alli'sia all sitting huddled together. Even now, probably in that same room suffering together in darkness and silence. Have they eaten recently? Did they get another candle? Have their bracelets been taken off? No, I wouldn't have wanted to be there. Just seeing them, being with them for a little was hard enough but to be chained to that pack by something so binding.

Shaking my head, I know that wouldn't have been something I would have done willingly. I put up with a lot. Following the rules, memorizing the etiquette, obeying what I was told to do, yet that would have been too much to handle. A sinking feeling in my stomach makes me feel sick. For maybe I would have just accepted it, just like everything else I was told. Before these past moons of journeying to find a cure that doesn't exist, I would have still been oblivious to so much.

My mind whispers the truth, that I most likely would not have put up a fight. The chances were low that I would have ever left my Father household, but if it had happened... I probably would have gone.

Yet as I keep moving, for a short period of time at least, I can pretend to belong. Even if no one else can see them, for a little they provide me with comfort.