Lerrassa's Journey

Chapter 1
The snow fell lightly as the sky grew dark and the young woman sat staring into the flames of the small fire before her. She pulled her cloak closer about her shoulders and shivered, glancing into the trees beyond her fire, searching. She jumped at a slight movement to her right, falling off the log she had been sitting on for the past few hours. Grumbling softly, she rose to her feet and brushed off, glaring after the fluffy tail that went racing up a tree.
She had been traveling for five days now, ever wary of the creatures she knew lived in the northern most reaches of Adanac. She had heard stories as a child, and did not wish to be caught off guard by any of the wild bears, or fiercer creatures, in these woods.
She desperately wished she had never left the safety of her home, the comfort and support of her people. She still wasn't sure why she had to travel through this isolated wasteland. All she knew was that something urged her on. Something reached out to her, grasping at her, pulling her ever eastward.
She threw some wood on the slowly dying fire, pulling her cloak a little tighter and gazing at the falling snow before sitting again and grabbing the small bag at her feet. After a few moments of searching she pulled a chunk of bread out and began eating it slowly.
She was already growing lonely, with every step she took a deep sense of longing flowed through her. Her people loved to explore and travel in the southern regions of their land, but never without a companion, and now every day away from her people brought the realization that it would be weeks, months, before she saw any of her family or friends again.
She finished her bread and brushed her hands together gently, sending crumbs falling to the ground with the ever increasing snowflakes. It was going to be another cold night.
"Well, isn't this fitting for you?" She scolded herself. "Wandering off into some unknown territory with nothing but the clothes on your back and a constant nagging in your heart." Her voice was harsh and bitter in the silence of the forest, and she waited a few minutes before cursing at the silent response she had received.
She wished deep down that one of her people had followed her, waiting for the right moment to show themselves. But she knew that only a complete fool would travel these forests at this time of year.
She sighed as she lay down and curled up in her cloak for some rest. She knew that, with the morning sun, would come the tugging and urging, but for now she needed to rest. Tomorrow's traveling could work itself out... Tomorrow.

She stood next to the ashes where her fire had burned the night before, blinking, whether from the brightness of the sun or the moisture forming in her eyes, she did not know. Slowly she picked up her pack, slinging it over her shoulder where her bow already hung, ready, aching to be used.
She stared into the ashes, moving them about with her foot, then turned and resumed her slow march eastward.
Why east? She wondered silently. Why always east? Why not south, where it's warmer? But she did not stop to contemplate, for, as it had every morning for the past six days, her heart screamed at her, begging her to keep going. So she did.

By late afternoon her body ached and her stomach roared with hunger. She knew she should have stopped hours ago to eat, but the yearning had been stronger than usual today, all she had wanted to do was walk. But now, as her stomach growled, threatening to cave in on itself, she reluctantly sat in the snow and swung her sack around into her lap.
The snowfall had begun to slow gradually as the day wore on, and now she looked up and smiled gratefully as she saw blue skies appearing between clouds. Lowering her eyes to her sack her smile faded and she sighed. Already she was growing weary of the bread and berries she had carelessly thrown into her pack the morning she had left. She yearned for the taste of meat again.
After staring at her bag for a few seconds, her eyes pleading with the material, begging it to somehow form the meat she craved, she tossed it aside, frustrated, and stood up. Today she would hunt.
She fingered her bow, still slung across her shoulder, and looked around. Where? She asked herself silently. After a minute of contemplating she bent and covered her sack with snow, not entirely sure why, and walked briskly into the forest.

After half an hour of searching, waiting, watching, she finally came upon a young rabbit, out scavenging for food, her ears and nose twitching as she nibbled a bit of grass sticking up out of the snow.
Slowly, cautiously, the young woman pulled the bow off her shoulder, slipping an arrow out of her quiver as she did so. She silently aimed the bow, sighting along the shaft of the arrow. She mouthed an apology to the creature five paces in front of her before loosing the arrow and watching it fly, straight and true, into the animal's heart.
The rabbit gave a whimper of pain and shock, falling to the ground, dead, before it had even realized what happened.
The woman slung the bow back over her shoulder and walked to the dead animal, bending down and closing it's eyes, still filled with shock. She whispered a thank you and removed the arrow before carrying the creature back to the clearing where she had left her bag.

With her hunger satisfied and the leftover meat wrapped and stowed in the sack, the young woman again found herself walking. She smiled softly as she watched the clouds continue to disappear, revealing more pale blue sky.
"Maybe this won't be so bad." She stated to a tree as she walked past it. "After all, it may be a good time to practice my hunting skills, and possibly become more independent." She adjusted her bag, her smile fading once more. "Or just a long, painful death." She said angrily, but continued to march on.

Chapter 2
Puwen

The sun shone brightly over the green hills of Anatnom as another young woman lay on her back in the grass, eyes closed and arms and legs dangling in the air. She grinned as a calm wind blew over her bare arms and legs, wiggling them gently in delight.
"Auntie Puwen?" Came a small voice from a short distance away. The young woman murmured, but didn't open her eyes. "Auntie Puwen!" This time the voice was right next to her face and the woman's eyes popped open in shock, only to crinkle at the corners with her smile moments later.
"Lerrassa." Puwen purred softly when she recognized the little girl stooping over her. "What're you doing in these parts of the hills alone?" She rolled onto her stomach and pushed up onto her knees in one swift movement, her tail and pointed ears twitching in the soft breeze.
"I followed you!" Stated little Lerrassa proudly, then added as a side note, "Mama said I could."
Puwen sneezed a little laugh and ran her fingers through the light brown fur on top of Lerrassa‘s head. "Well we'd better get you home little kitten, before your mother realizes how far we wandered today."
Lerrassa purred and swatted at her aunt's hand, but followed as Puwen stood and began walking back towards town.

They reached their little village as the sun began to shrink on the horizon. Puwen smiled weakly as she watched Lerrassa rush into her mother's arms, a pinch of jealousy running through her veins. She quickly pushed all her envious thoughts out of her mind as Lerrassa and her mother walked to her.
"Puwen dear, won't you join us for dinner?" Asked the beautiful young woman as she picked up her daughter and smiled.
"Oh Cwryan, you know I'd love to, but I must get home and feed my husband." Puwen stated, smiling as sincerely as she could.
Cwryan sneezed in delight. "I'm sure he's yowling for his supper as we speak. Well, I won't keep you from him." She smiled again and put Lerrassa on the tree next to her, giving her a little push up and meowing a good evening to Puwen before following.

A she wandered through the trees, hearing the laughter and smelling the freshly cooked meals from above her, Puwen wondered about her life. She loved her sister-in-claw very much, she was after all, the woman who had stolen her younger brother's heart away forty years ago. But Puwen still felt the jealousy, the pain, when she say Cwryan playing with Lerrassa.
She and her husband had been married almost one-hundred and thirty years, fresh out of kittenhood, and had learned early on in their marriage that Puwen was unable to bare children. They had grown to accept that fact over the years. Yet now, with her younger brother and his wife living so close, and with their beautiful twelve year old daughter, Puwen could not help envying them.
She sighed as she stopped at the bottom of a tree, gazing up at the lights glowing through the windows. Her husband waited up there. Her loving husband. She new he'd notice the dampness on her cheeks, the pain in her eyes. She slowly began to climb the tree, failing in her attempt to push any thoughts of her niece out of her mind.
As she slowly pushed open the door to her small home in their little tree, her husband looked up from the book he was reading in his favorite chair by the fireplace.
He quickly pulled the pipe from his mouth and laid the book on the table beside him. "Darling, what is it?" He asked, concern showing in his voice and his eyes.
Puwen stared at him, into those beautiful green eyes she loved so much, whimpering softly. He stood and started walking towards her, arms open welcoming. As she burst into tears she rushed into his warm embrace.
They fell to the floor, Puwen in his lap, wrapped in his arms while he cooed to her soothingly, her face buried in his chest as she wept.

Chapter 3

The young woman ran on. She could hear the creature behind her, it had been chasing her for hours, days? She had lost all track of time in her frantic attempt to escape.
She was bleeding. She could feel the blood running down her arms, soaking her gloves. The thing had attacked her during the night, how it found her under her cloak, she did not know.
She ran on. Her lungs aching for air, her legs pounding in pain from the several wounds the creature had inflicted on her. Still, she ran on. The thing was getting closer. Feeding off her pain and fear as it chased her. It squealed with glee when it saw her trip and was on her in an instant, digging its claws into her sides and back.

Puwen screamed and sat straight up in her bed, sweat trickling down her forehead. She began to sob fiercely as her husband wrapped his arms around her.
"Shhh." He whispered softly in her ear. "Was it the same one?"
Puwen nodded jerkily. "Oh Rigo." She gasped between sobs. "It was awful. The... The thing got her."
"Shush, my darling, it was just a dream."
Puwen slowly calmed down, Rigo purring in her ear comfortingly until she was ready to lay back down. She spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft snores of Rigo next to her.

As the sun's first lights crept over the hills, Puwen gazed over her forest village. She brushed the tears from her cheeks, adjusting the bag on her back before turning away and heading northwest.
She didn't know exactly where she was going, she just knew she had to be somewhere... Somewhere in the snowy forest there was a young woman who needed her.
She had left a quick note for Rigo, telling him she loved him and would return as soon as she could. She knew he would understand when he found it on her pillow, he had suspected she would go after the woman in her dreams sometime. She just hoped that when, if, she returned, he would still love her. Still be waiting patiently for her.
She sighed and marched on. Toward the tree line she could see forming on the horizon.

Chapter 4

The young woman pulled her hood off and stared up at the now almost clear skies. She could see from the darkness ahead that the weather would fail again soon, but for now she was just enjoying the sun on her pale skin.
She threw back her cloak and walked more confidently eastward. It was still about midday, and she felt refreshed after a good bit of meat and a long rest the night before.
With the snowfall completely ceased she felt more relaxed. She was about to see farther into the forest around her, and she could see it was clear of wildlife for some miles, at least wildlife she needed to worry about.
She still had meat, left from the deer she had killed three days before, wrapped and hidden from eye, or nose, in her pack. She marched on.

Puwen, urged by the sense of danger, continued on toward the forest. She knew the woman she was looking for was... Different. But she also knew that woman was in danger.
Her dreams still came to her while she slept, getting worse as she drew near the forest. She was unsure how she was going to find the woman. She had looked over some maps her husband had picked up, taking three or four with her, and knew that the lands she was venturing into expanded far to the west, but she was determined, and suspected that her dreams would somehow lead her there. She did not know that she was being followed.

As the young woman sat down in the dim lights of sunset she looked up at the sky. It was beginning to cloud over again, and with the clouds came the regret. Again she wished she was back in her homeland, sitting and talking with a group of friends about the mysteries up north, not here exploring them.
She sighed and pulled out some of her rabbit meat. She had carefully wrapped all of the meat she had not eaten, placing a few simple enchantments on it to keep it from spoiling. Her grandmother knew all sorts of enchantments, and had taught them to all her grandchildren when they were young, or at least the less dangerous ones. She had given them enchanted gifts also, and cloaks for traveling. Cloaks that, when the right words are spoken, change colors to match the environment.
The young woman fingered her black cloak before preparing a fire to cook her meal over.

Puwen stopped finally to rest. The sun had set hours ago, but her keen eyes could still make out the landscape well enough for her to keep going.
Now her legs hurt and she was ready, tired enough, to risk sleeping a few hours. She knew the dream would come eventually, it had every night for the past two months, but her body was too tired to go on. The rolling hills were beautiful, but journeying over them was tiresome for even the strongest men among her people.
She was too tired to even eat. She just sat down, leaning against a tree, and closed her eyes. Falling asleep almost immediately.
A couple miles away a pair of small round eyes watched her from a patch of tall grass. They glowed briefly as they reflected the moonlight before closing.

The young woman watched as the sun rose above the treetops. The snow had not come during the night as se had thought it might. But now, by the bite in the wind, she could tell it was coming today. She was getting used to the routine of traveling she had found herself in. She even found that she was happier these last few days, though she did not know why.
As the sun lit her path she began walking again. Even with the sun in her eyes she could see well enough to journey on, the trees provided enough shade to keep her eyes wide and alert. She paid little attention to the rabbits and other small animals that scurried away as she walked by, having enough meat still left to last her a few days, if she provisioned it properly.
She walked confidently, feeling that something good was going to happen soon.

As Puwen continued on, she hoped and prayed the woman was still alive. Her dream last night had not released her soon enough and she had woken up screaming, with the vision of the woman being torn to pieces still fresh in her mind. The sense of danger was still there, and that gave her a little comfort, though it still frightened her.
As she continued on, the wind began to blow softly behind her. She purred at the cool air and sniffed gently. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. She had caught a familiar scent in the breeze. It was faint, but she knew it from somewhere.
She halted and crouched down in the tall grass, not sure what to do. Finally, she decided and reluctantly turned away from the forest, crawling through the grass towards the scent.
As she drew closer the scent became strong and she could see a slight movement in the grass ahead. She sighed, recognizing the scent and the light brown tail straying in the wind. She stood.
"Lerrassa, what are you doing?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
Lerrassa stood also, looking slightly embarrassed at being discovered. "Oh Auntie Puwen, I saw you leaving and wanted to know where you were going. I woulda turned back two days ago, 'cept you kept screaming in the middle of the night and I was worried. Please don't send me home."
Puwen looked at her niece, then back to the smudge of trees that was her homeland. She knew she could not send Lerrassa home alone, but she could not go back with her. She smiled weakly at her niece. "I'm traveling a dangerous road Lerrassa."
"I know." Lerrassa said after looking to the forest her aunt had been heading to. "I'm not scared. I want to help. Please?"
Puwen watched her niece's begging eyes and sighed, nodding and turning back to the forest to march on. She was happy for the company, though she knew it would mean delays. Lerrassa had only the clothes she had been wearing the morning Puwen had left, and Puwen knew it would be growing colder the nearer they got to the forest. She would have to make an extra cloak for her niece. She had needles and thread, and there were plenty of sheep around, but it would take a few days and they would have to stop earlier so she could sew before the sun went down.
Lerrassa didn’t seem to mind, skipping along merrily next to her aunt. She strayed every once in a while to investigate a new flower or animal she hadn't seen before, but she always caught up and Puwen didn't worry too much, as long as she stayed within a few leaps distance.

Chapter 5
Adnama

The young woman sat up straight, looking around nervously. She had been sleeping lightly when she sensed a presence drawing near. It was early morning and the sun had still not risen, the darkness consumed her as she looked around frantically for whatever presence was haunting her.
She turned quickly as she heard a twig snap behind her and her eyes widened in fear as she saw the large shadowy figure slinking towards her through the trees. She watched, shocked into immobility, as the glowing red globes she knew had to be the creature's eyes drew closer. The only noise she could hear was the thing's harsh breathing, it seemed to consume the silence and darken the very air of the forest. A chill ran through her as the creature whispered something in a strange language.
She finally came out of her shocked trance and screamed, jumping up and running away from the creature. It roared and she immediately heard its footsteps pursuing her. She ran frantically through the forest, her eyes peering into the darkness, just able to make out the shaped of the trees rising up, twisting and turning, on either side of her. She ran on.
She reached to her shoulder but found her bow was not there, she had left it at her camp. Her heart pounded as fear consumed her and she heard the creature drawing closer. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, running on blindly, all thoughts gone now besides escape.
She gasped as her foot hit the stray root of a tree and she fell to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and was about to sprint when the creature attacked her from behind, knocking her down. She screamed and tried to crawl out from under its heavy body, but it held her fast, rolling her over.
She found the courage to open her eyes slightly and she saw the flaring nostrils and red globe eyes of the creature that had caught her. The horns on its head glowed the same red as its eyes and it grinned down at her, its crooked fangs even more horrifying than its other features.
It grunted at her and began speaking. She found it spoke in the common tongue, but its words were harsh and hard to understand.
"Who are you?" It grunted into her ear.
She shut her eyes again, trying to force its mind out of hers. She felt its eyes searing through her skull and into her mind, searching through her memories.
Suddenly the creature let her go and leaned back, howling into the air in pleasure. She felt, rather than saw, the thing's happiness as it whispered, "Adnama." She winced as it taunted her, "Pretty, pretty Adnama, what's a little thing like you doing out in the snow?" Then it bent and dug its claws into her stomach.

She sat up straight, sweat trickling down her face, despite the chill in the air. She was still wrapped in her cloak. It was a dream.
Adnama brushed a strand of red hair out of her face and looked around, her heart still pounding from her nightmare. She didn't know what the thing was that had haunted her sleeping mind, but she could sense that somewhere, deep in a dark place, it taunted her, pleased at learning her name and past from her dream mind.
She shivered and pulled her bow and quiver of arrows to herself, slinging them over her shoulders before wrapping up in her cloak and leaning up against a tree, her eyes staring at the red glowing embers of her fire. She shut her eyes quickly, crying silently until she fell asleep, sitting with her hand on her bow.

Chapter 6
Puwen awoke and carefully untangled herself from the sleeping form of Lerrassa, who growled disapproval and rolled over. It had been three days since Puwen had caught Lerrassa following her, and they hadn't been able to catch a decent meal the past two days, partly due to the fact that there wasn't much wildlife in these parts worth eating, but mostly because, when they did find a mouse or rabbit, Lerrassa's excited squealing would scare it off.
Puwen had shaved a few wandering sheep and begun sewing a cloak for Lerrassa, it would be finished in a few days. She opened her bag to pull out her materials, hesitated, then stood, leaving the bag open on the ground, and walked quietly away. She would catch breakfast before Lerrassa woke.

Adnama marched swiftly east. She had been sleeping less and less every night due to the creature invading her dreams. Every night it had been the same thing, it would chase her, capture her, and search her mind, every night except last night. Last night it had chased someone else, a small girl. It frightened Adnama even more than when it chased her. The girl was different from the normal girls Adnama had grown up with. She was smaller and had strange pointy ears and a long tail. Adnama was not sure who, or what, she was, but she felt the need to save her.
As she walked on she looked around. The trees were thinning, but she knew that she was still months from the edge of the forest. She had thought, when she set out, that that was where she should be headed. But after her nightmare of the night before, she faintly wondered if she should go north.
She knew the creature from her nightmares lived north, and she worried for the little girl. But the calling from the east was still too demanding to turn away. So she reluctantly continued in that direction.

As Puwen prepared to pounce she heard something moving behind her. She turned to find Lerrassa standing there, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Puwen quickly turned back, but found the rabbit she had been pursuing had bolted down into its burrow.
“Auntie Puwen, what’re you doing?” Lerrassa yawned.
“I was after a rabbit, go back to sleep and I’ll wake you when breakfast is ready.” Puwen said, slightly annoyed.
“I want to help!”
Puwen sighed, “Alright, lets look for another meal, this rabbit isn’t coming back any time soon.”

As the sun disappeared behind the treetops Adnama shivered and stared at the cloudy night sky. The weather had become chilly once more the past three days, and she found herself stopping earlier each night due to it. She clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering and pulled her cloak as tight around her body as she could, slowly sinking to the snow.
Her body ached from the constant shivering and she couldn’t feel her toes. Why am I doing this? She wondered silently. She stared at the trees and began to weep when the answer came to her mind. She lat down and curled up into a ball, crying herself to sleep.

Puwen watched Lerrassa skip across the grass and smiled. The little girl’s new cloak fit nicely and flowed out behind her as she ran. Puwen sighed, wishing her heart could be as light and happy as her niece’s, but over the past six days or so her nightmares had disappeared, along with any sense of the woman she was searching for.
As she walked along behind her niece, Puwen wondered what fate had caught the woman, or, is she was still alive, why couldn’t Puwen feel her presence?
“Auntie Puwen, look!” Lerrassa’s voice squeaked, pulling Puwen out of her contemplations and sending pangs of worry through her spine. Lerrassa had disappeared over a very tall hill.
Puwen broke into a run, climbing the hill as quickly as she could. As she came to the top she gasped and fell over backwards, staring into the distance in terror.

Adnama awoke early in the morning, she guessed it was later than she expected, but the sky was so dark she couldn’t decide whether she should move again or not.
She sensed something unnatural in the air, but she didn’t know what it was. She slowly sat up and looked around. The air was unusually still and warm. She quickly gathered her things, keeping her bow in hand, and stood.
As she looked around more her eyes adjusted and she spotted the path she had been following and quickly walked down it. Her stomach clenched with hunger, but she didn’t stop to eat. The morning was too… Wrong. She needed to move from that place.

Puwen sat atop the hill staring, wide-eyed. Before her lay the forest, dark and foreboding. But scarier than the forest was what was above it. Frighteningly dark red clouds hung low over the forest, rolling and riddled with bright orange lightning.
Puwen tore her eyes from the clouds and glanced to Lerrassa at the bottom of the hill. Lerrassa stared at the clouds in awe. “Lerrassa, get up here!” Puwen hissed.
Lerrassa stumbled back up the hill quickly, glancing back at the clouds over her shoulder. “What do you think it is?” She asked when she reached her aunt.
“I…” Puwen started, but fell silent as the clouds began tossing fiercely.
As they watched the clouds took on the form of a head, dark horns and teeth surrounding deep set eyes and flaring nostrils. Puwen recognized it immediately and Lerrassa whimpered in fright and clung to her aunt.
The cloud head stared at Puwen with its dark eyes and frowned in thought. She shivered in terror as its eyes bore into hers. Lerrassa, still hugging Puwen tight, glanced up at the creature, whose eyes dropped to hers. Instantly it grinned at her, baring all its horrible teeth.
“I’m coming for you.” Said a deep whispering voice. And suddenly all was quiet, the clouds gone, the only noise the silent whimpering of Lerrassa as she hid her head in Puwen’s chest.

Chapter 7
Adnama watched the sky fearfully. She had seen dark red shapes rolling east soon after she awoke and halted in mid-step, not daring to move. As she had watched, the clouds, or whatever they were, had passed over her, filled with orange flashes, and continued on east.
Now she sat on a fallen tree, staring into the distance. She had watched the redness in the sky until it was out of her sight, then sat on the log, hardly moving the rest of the day.
As the sun began to sink she stood slowly, glancing over her shoulder, half expecting to see something ready to attack her. She knew she would not rest that night, and as the red clouds had passed over her the sky had cleared. Now the moon shined bright, being at its fullest, and lit her path for her.
As she marched on she felt a tingling in her spine. She could feel eyes on her from somewhere nearby. At first this frightened her, but as she looked around she realized that there was no threatening presence in the air, just eyes. She could not see them, but she knew they were there.

Puwen and Lerrassa stood, staring into the forest before them. After the storm had disappeared they sat on the hill for hours, watching creatures scurrying in and out of the forest. Finally Puwen managed to stand and carry her niece down the hill on the side opposite of the forest, where they spent a restless night.
Now it was morning and when they had woken the both walked silently over the hill to the forest’s edge. Lerrassa moved closer to Puwen, who grasped her niece’s hand reassuringly. After a few moments a spark flared in Lerrassa’s eyes and she began the march into the forest.
Puwen sensed a new presence in the air, as well as the change in her niece, and reluctantly followed, her eyes darting back and forth through the trees.

As the day passed the feeling of being watched hadn’t left Adnama and she was growing more nervous with every passing hour. She had taken her bow off her shoulder and was carrying it in her left hand, with an arrow in her right hand.
She flinched at every movement in the forest around her, whether it be a deer foraging for food or an acorn falling to the ground. She jumped as a twig snapped behind her. She turned sharply, sliding the arrow into place and preparing to fire. She paused and stared, confused.

Puwen’s anxiety had eased as she and her niece walked deeper into the forest. The trees weren’t as tight as they had looked and the sun lit the way nicely, and the few shadowy places it left were too small for any large, frightening creatures.
Lerrassa’s mood changed soon after they entered the woods. Her fear had completely disappeared and now she wandered back and forth across the path they were following, pointing out new bugs here and there or an especially beautiful flower she found. Puwen smiled and nodded as her niece talked excitedly about the beauty of a plant, Puwen knew it was a weed, but refrained from spoiling Lerrassa’s excitement.
They walked on and even Puwen found herself smiling at the silliness of the animals in the forest. Instead of darting into burrows when she and her niece walked by the furry creatures would scurry up trees a short way and stare back down at them curiously. Puwen assumed their presence was new, her people never ventured this far north, even in the summer it was too cold for their liking, but she knew the animals could also sense that she was a carnivore, and that’s what sent them up the trees, instead of to her feet.
Part of her wished they weren’t so scared of her, she would have liked to get a closer look, but she didn’t have the time to stop and investigate. So she marched on, followed by a disappointed Lerrassa.

Chapter 8
Adnama slowly lowered her bow, staring in disbelief. Before her stood and Ynnuccar. She had seen many as a child. They had the body of a horse and the ears of a rabbit. Most were colored grey with a black mask and a ringed tail like a raccoon. This one, however, was pure white with bright red eyes.
As Adnama lowered her bow more the Ynnuccar took a hesitant step toward her, staring nervously into her eyes. She had heard of albino Ynnuccars in myths when she was young, but that were believed to be extinct, if they ever existed at all.
The Ynnuccar shifted slightly, then disappeared in a flash of bright light, causing Adnama to drop her bow and shield her eyes with her hands. When the light faded she peeked beyond her fingers and her eyes widened in amazement. Where the creature had stood there now stood a man, tall and muscular, pale skinned with the same bright red eyes she had seen on the animal. His silver hair was wild and free, flowing down to his shoulders. She hesitated, then reached for her bow.
“Do not be afraid.” The man said, taking a step back and holding up his hands to show he carried no weapon. “I do not wish to harm you.”
“Who… What are you?” Adnama asked after picking up her bow, which she held ready at her side. “And why have you been following me?”
“I am one of the last of my race. What we are is not important. My name is Sirc. I have come to show you the way.” His voice walk came as his sparkling eyes stared into Adnama’s.
“The way to where? And I think what you are is pretty important, considering you were an animal a few moments ago.” Adnama snapped.
“There is much to be explained.” Sirc stated calmly. “But not now. Now you are weary and must rest.” As he said this he reached out a hand and touched Adnama’s shoulder. She pulled back slightly. “We will travel far tomorrow.”
“I’m not…” But before she could finish Adnama found herself yawning. “Well, maybe a little rest wouldn’t hurt.” She looked around and found a nice spot sheltered from the wind and laid down, seeming to have forgotten her strange visitor.
As sleep overcame her, Sirc stood near her, his dark red tunic almost glowing as the materials caught the last rays of sunshine. He looked down at the sleeping woman and smiled before sitting next to her and closing his eyes. Tomorrow…

Adnama woke early in the morning and looked around. Seeing no one, she wondered if she had only dreamed of the strange encounter with the Ynnuccar. She stood and stretched, shivering in the crisp morning air. She felt more awake and alert than she had ever been and she began to hum a little tune as she started walking again. She recognized her song slightly, but she did not know where from.
“Adnama.” The deep voice came from behind her and she turned quickly to find Sirc walking down the path towards her. His graceful trot astounded her and she stared admiringly at him. She had not really inspected him the day before and now she was awed by his appearance. His red eyes were deep and piercing, set below a wide forehead. His nose seemed perfect, just the right shape and size, every curve identical to its opposite. His lips look smooth and shapely and were tinted slightly pink. As she looked him over she noticed his nicely toned muscles, which were pale in the morning light. He wore a dark red tunic with racing horses sewn along the hem. He walked barefoot and wore a red string tied around his left ankle.
Adnama realize after a moment that she was staring and shyly looked away. “I thought you were just something my dreaming mind thought up. She said quietly, looking at the ground.
“Sirc bowed slightly. “I understand that my presence may confuse you, but there is no time to explain. The enemy is moving too quickly in his plans. We must go now.”
“The enemy?” Adnama asked. Sirc only nodded and brushed past her, motioning her to follow. She hesitated a moment, then rushed to keep up with his quick gait.

Puwen stayed cuddled with Lerrassa in the comfort of the small groove the roots of a tree made. The storm had started the night before and Puwen knew it was well into the next morning, but the storm raged on. It was a normal storm, she felt no evil in it, but it was fierce.
Lerrassa whimpered as lightning flared and Puwen held her closer, murmuring words of comfort into her ear. She assured Lerrassa that they wouldn’t leave the shelter of the tree until the storm died down. She wanted to move, to find the woman, more now than she ever had, but she knew in this type of weather Lerrassa would catch a cold quickly if she wasn’t kept as warm and dry as possible. So they sat and tried to sleep amidst the angry roaring of the storm.

Adnama had convinced Sirc to stop for food after six hours of their march. She had never been so happy to sit and eat. Her legs ached from the quick pace Sirc had set, being nearly a foot taller than her with extremely long legs. She didn’t think she’d be able to travel like that much longer.
“Where are we going?” She asked before taking another bite of the fruit he had given her.
“To the girl.” Sirc stated, watching the sky.
“What girl?” Adnama paused. “The one from…”
“Your dreams, yes. Her name is Lerrassa.”
“How did you know that?”
“I know much about her.”
“No, not that. How did you know I dreamed about her?”
“I can not explain how I know the things I know. I have known them for as long as I have been.”
“Been? Been what?”
“Just been. I have lived many centuries and I have learned much. But you I have known about since I was created.”
“But how?”
Sirc stood. “We must go now.” He stated, and again began marching.
“But…” Adnama sighed in frustration and stood to follow, leaving the core of the strange fruit on the ground.

Chapter 9
The storm had died down to a soft drizzle and Puwen had roused Lerrassa so they could march on once again. Lerrassa pulled her cloak tight about her, her light spirit dampened by the weather.
“How much farther?” She asked her aunt.
“We’ll start looking for a place to stop soon, hun.” Puwen said sympathetically. “It looks like the storm might worsen soon, so I want to be well out of its way when it does.”
“Me too.” Lerrassa said, sniffling from the cold.
Puwen glanced at her niece with worry in her eyes. If Lerrassa caught a cold out here it could be week before she was healthy again, depending on the weather. Puwen was worrying about the effect it could have on their traveling when a deeper concern came to her mind. Lerrassa was still very young. If she did catch a cold and the weather didn’t ease up, she could easily die out here.
“Auntie Puwen, look.” Lerrassa said, pointing to a small hill. Puwen looked where she pointed and saw a small den. “Can we stay there tonight?”
Puwen walked to the den and checked it thoroughly to make sure nothing lived, or had lived there recently, then nodded to Lerrassa who went in first, followed by her aunt. The den was barely big enough to hold both of them, but in the confined space it was warm, mostly dry and out of the wind. Lerrassa snuggled up to Puwen and fell asleep almost immediately. Puwen cautiously sniffed the wind, then, satisfied, closed her eyes, falling asleep just as the storm grew more wild.

Adnama had followed Sirc the rest of the day, until night fell and was well under way, before she insisted that they stop and rest. Sirc had reluctantly given in and handed her more of his strange fruit, which lacked in taste, but satisfied hunger quickly, and she ate it greedily.
“Where are you taking me?” She asked, looking up from her food to find Sirc had disappeared. She blinked a few times the shook her head. “Why am I trusting him? She asked the silent trees.
Because he’s the most handsome man you’ve seen in… Ever! Came the reply in her head.
“But I don’t know him, I shouldn’t trust him. He could be taking me to the monster from my dreams.” She protested.
He’s an Ynnuccar. The voice in her head pointed out. She wanted to argue, but she knew that Ynnuccars were well known as the only creatures that could resist all evil. She sighed and finished her meal, laying down to sleep once more.

When Puwen awoke she could not tell how much time had passed. The den was dark and quiet. She could tell the storm had ceased and that it was late in the night, judging by the few owls she heard hooting outside.
She lay her head back down, closing her eyes. As she was about to fall asleep she sensed something strange in the air, a different presence. She sat up and untangled herself from Lerrassa, moving her head to the entrance of the den to peer out into the night.
The crescent moon provided little light for Puwen’s reflective blue eyes. She strained against the darkness, knowing someone, or something, was nearby outside, but no matter how hard she searched, she could not find it.
She shivered uncomfortably. She could tell the presence had no evil intentions, but it still sent chills through her spine, knowing it was there, and yes not seeing it. She crawled back to Lerrassa, laying down and closing her eyes, but keeping her ears alert.

Adnama had followed Sirc when he thought she was sleeping. She wanted to know where he went every night. It had been hard keeping up, especially when he had turned back into an Ynnuccar, but somehow she had managed.
He had gone north, for miles and miles, before stopping. Adnama watched him from a hiding spot a safe distance away.
He looked around then turn back to human form, whispering something in a strange, harsh language. As Adnama watched a creature emerged on the far side of the clearing Sirc had stopped in. Adnama squinted and moved to see what it was, then backed up a few steps in horror.
Sirc had turned and was not talking to the creature, which Adnama recognized as the thing from her nightmares. She watched as they spoke, seeming to be arguing over something.
All of the sudden the creature looked behind Sirc at Adnama, who almost yelped in fear. It grunted something and Sirc turned to look at Adnama also, his red eyes boring into hers. He glared at her for a moment before the monster pounced across the clearing towards her.
Adnama turned to run, hearing the creature scream in anger. It was on her before she had the chance to escape and she heard Sirc laughing as the thing tore its talons through her ribcage.