Shreka's short point of view

The rain pelted lightly off my feathers as I looked around. We would reach Griffen soon today but what worried me was Starflame. She was peaceful now as she was asleep, but she was not the leader who came to Griften before.

Stripped of her memories she was as clueless as a newborn Griffin. We were to help her. But re learning everything? Even to me that seemed that it would take her months to years even learn and the prophecy she had of her own to complete? But, she was my sister and I would look after her.

She shifted in her sleep, most probably waking up and I laid my head down and pretended to sleep.

Starflame's point of view

I woke up stretching and stopped when I stretched too far and hit Shreka's wing and woke her up.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to her.

"Its fine. I was waking up anyway" Shreka said getting up.

Her back hooves scraped away the leaves we laid on and began crunching on roots.

Shreka picked up an long root and handed it to me. "Here"

I took it and stared at it.

"Eat it." Shreka told me.

I scoffed at her. "You can't be serious, eat a root that will be muddly, will be-" I stopped for a second and bit the root. "Juicy, delicious and why haven't I tried this before?"

Shreka looked at me, her eyes sparkling and I guessed that her beak was slightly open ment that she was smiling.

"You have, it used to be your favourite thing to have while staying with us."

We stayed there for the rest of the morning munching on roots and looking around for more before Shreka decided it was time to go.

This time, instead of being held in her claws I got to ride on her back and it was exhilarating to do so. Shreka made sure I didn't fall and that was a big comfort, but made it joyful for me as well.

She shrieked her name out to the sky in her excitement and I did as well, in Griffin of course.

Turning towards a mountain Shreka turned more serious and I saw why, more and more Griffins were about us, some looking at me strangely, some racing off. Some had lion tails, some like Shreka had horse tails.

"Be quiet now, unless spoken to. Let me do the talking." Shreka told me.

"Ok then"

The atmosphere which was cold already, suddenly mixed with the mood around us and turned frosty, and not because of Shreka.

Merlin's point of view

I rode behind the others near the back of the knights behind Spirit who was tethered to the back of the wagon.

Spirit, like I, had become quiet and not her usual self.

There was a loud shriek in the sky followed my a more horser, quieter one.

Spirit lifted her head up and whinnied as if she knew the second screech.

"Heads up people, it may be back with more." Arthur said drawing his sword.

"That was Starflame!" I shouted. "We have to go back for her!"

"Merlin, she's dead, no one survives when a Griffin takes you. Now shut up, you'll draw its attention." Arthur shouted back.

"Spirit even recognizes her!" I protested.

"End it Merlin, before I do!" Arthur shouted.

"I'm going after her! I'll be back with her!" I shouted at him and kicked Carrot into a gallop towards the shrieks.

Starflame's point of view

The mountain drew nearer and nearer and so did the Griffins and at one point I thought Shreka was going to crash into the mountain but instead there was an hole which she flew into and half landed half ran to a halt before I managed to get off.

Shreka took me up a wide staircase made of stone, worn smooth by thousands of footsteps. Griffins of different colours and sizes passed by looking confused or surprised.

Turning down a corner Shreka took me into an large room where two large griffins sat with two smaller ones beside them.

Shreka screeched as an entrance and the male one of the two screeched as well and the four or five griffins that was in the room bowed their heads and walked out the room. Two thuds and two clatters followed each griffin, again, some with tails and others without.

The largest one rose from its sitting position and nuzzled Shreka. The Griffin was golden in colour with a light yellow pony half.

"Shreka, your back." He said looking at her.

"Indeed I am father." She bowed her head and then looked behind him. "Mother, Greaka, Breek"

"Was your quest a success?" He asked.

"Sort of father." She started.

"What do you mean sort of?" The Griffin growled flicking it's tail.

"I found and brought Starflame-" Shreka tried to start again.

"Why didn't you say?! Starflame, how are you?!" The Griffin opened its wings slightly and walked quickly towards me.

I backed away frightened at this scene towards a wall and pressed myself against it.

"Father stop!" Shreka moved in front of him and placed herself between us.

Her father stopped but I could see he was unhappy. His lion's tail whipped around him.

There was a pause and Shreka carried on more calmly and quieter. "I found her, she's the same one, but she's lost her memory, she didn't recognize me when she saw me, or had to explain how I knew her and why I wasn't harming he'd before she calmed down."

The Griffin looked at me. "So she has no idea what we're saying? Great! How we supposed to help her if we can't communicate?"

"Wait!" I spoke up. The griffins looked at me and I unpealed myself from the rock wall. "I can understand and speak your language. Don't ask me how because I don't know. I don't know a lot of things at the moment, but I do know that I'm supposed to be here. I got myself to be here, for some reason, and I feel Shreka is the one to help me. Don't ask me how I know this and other things, because the simple truth is, I do not know. But I am willing to re learn, willing to listen, willing to understand. But you need to to be willing to have me. If your not, I fear your not going to accept me if you don't." I spoke.

The Griffin looked at me for a while, silence nothing being spoke of before he began to laugh, a large chesty laugh. "You may have lost your memory young man child, but your certainly the same person. Come, I'll introduce you to the Royal family members of the Griffins."

I stood beside him. "I'm Kreek" Kreek introduced himself.

"This is my mate Shreka" the other large, but still smaller then Kreek nodded. She was grey in colour.

"You already know Shreka our first born and to be queen, out second born and commander of the fighters is Greaka, the one on the right." The tawny brown one nodded his head, wrapping his tail around his claws.

And the one on the right is Breek, commander of the hunters and last born." Breek bowed her head and walked up to me slowly, as if shy.

"I did not get time to talk to you before you left us last. I hope we can speak this time." Breek said.

I nodded. "I don't remember, but I look forward to talking to you."

Shreka shifted uncomfortably from her place. "Father, we do not have long to teach Starflame what she needs to know. Even now I feel the south wind blow and it will not be long before she and us will be trapped here for the winter." Shreka said.

Kreek nodded his head. "You are right as you normally are daughter, go now then. Take her to her walls, but look after her. It's easy to get lost in here."

"Thank you father," Shreka bowed to her father. "Come, the Wall is a small trek from here."

We walked out the door and through the large cavern I realised, it was a caven, not an large room been carved out.

There were nooks and crannies in the spaces and sounds of Griffins talking filled the air with a hum. An orange Griffin flew over our heads and I watched as it flew up towards a cranny and nuzzled an light gray one.

"Those are the sleeping quarters, in just about every room, except the large room we've just left, there are these everywhere. Are the moment we're in plentiful times. There's prey all around the mountain and Griffin nests are full. But we're getting near the hard times now. In at the most two months time, hardly any prey will be found and everyone won't eat much, even the Royal family cannot eat that much, and the strongest, the ones who've eaten enough food will survive. Father, Kreek, he's on his twentyfith hardship time year and he's still going strong. Normally, the hard times are what kill us and if father dies in this time. Mother will rule and perhaps find a new, younger mate who'll become king. I hope that she doesn't though if he dies, or the other way round, because if they have children, I won't become queen." Shreka told me as we walked.

Griffins were all around us. I saw more and more as we went further into the mountain.

Two little griffins, their heads just passing mine, ran past me giggling as they played tag.

I smiled with Shreka at their antics before she turned more serious.

"Your wall is right near the heart of Griften just like you wanted. Many of our griffins love to look at your wall. Some say they know what your wall says but you said to us that only you would be able to interpret it." Shreka said.

Suddenly there was 'Streak' called as like an wave and when it got to us Shreka joined in.

I looked at her quizzingly.

"That means an egg born has just said it's first word. It's name and the whole of the mountain celebrates. It is hatched rather late for to prepare for the harsh seasons."

We got to a rock face and stopped. There was no way I could climb it.

"You normally use some type of magic to give yourself wings and fly up with me." Shreka told me.

"Oh.... yes.. I probably would of. But, please could you help me up. It's one of the things I've forgotten."

"Right." There was an awkward pause as we tried to figure the problem out.

"Climb on my back. We can fly up that wall divider like that." Shreka bent down for me to climb on and I did so willingly.

Looking to my right I saw a different griffin, the same colour as Shreka and watched as three little tiny ones, no taller than my knee, clamber on the griffin's back and take off just before us.

When we cleared the top of the wall I looked down and saw many baby looking griffins with a few adult ones mixed in as well.

"Whoa!" I breathed at the size of it.

Shreka chuckled. "We have plenty more to cross before we get to the middle."