Once we reached the beginning of the forest, I turned to Clyde, "Where are you really from...human?" I growled.

He looked confused and it took a moment before he answered, "How did you know that I was human?"

I blushed as I answered him, "I could smell you. All humans have a specific smell to them."

Instead of seeming a little crept out he seemed curious. "Well you already know that I'm human but I need to get back to my world and that's all. All I ask of you is that you send me to Earth and then you'll never have to see me again."

"What will we get in return; otherwise than never seeing you again? We can already make that possible." Luke asked from behind him and his horse lifted a leg almost in protest. He drew out a knife from his scabbard that was strapped to his belt.

"And what are we going to tell everyone if they don't see us come back with him?" I pointed it mostly to Luke but also to Clyde.

Luke looked at me, disappointed that he wasn't allowed to kill Clyde and put his knife in its scabbard; understanding my point.

"We will go on ahead with the plan and if you try to escape we won't go after you. The forest itself will kill you if the dorges don't get to you first." I decided urging Snow to go forward.

"...Dorges?" Clyde slapped the reins, looking at the forest in a new point of view. As we made it around the corner, four figures on horses blocked our path they were in a line and I quickly drew my sword as soon as I realized who one of them was as I saw a flash of green eyes, freckles and red hair "Lord George, would you interfere with the king's orders?" I asked him in a tight voice and Luke moved to my side, drawing out his own sword.

The lord frowned drawing his silver cloak back. "I ask the same of you, my future bride."

I froze in shock but my eyes were still fixed on him with a glare.

"Oh you didn't know that daddy is picking your future husband as we speak. He already has two choices one isn't very likely so that leaves me. As your future husband," he said with a disgusted grin on his face. "I tell you to go back to the castle."

Luke almost charged forward and Lord George seemed to take notice of him for the first time. "Oh your knight in shining armor is here to rescue you how sweet but I'm afraid the king wants Luke on another mission soon and I'm afraid he won't be here to see your betrothal, isn't that right, Luke?'

When Luke confirmed that Lord George's statement was true I felt a mixture of feelings rush in and threaten to drown me; anger for hiding something from me, mistrust for not trusting me with the secret and ultimately sadness to see Luke leave my side once again for who knows how long.

Luke looked at Lord George with clear disgust shining in his eyes, "That may be true but as long as I'm here. I won't let you anywhere near her even if that costs my life." He said not looking at me and I looked back at Lord George who laughed in response.

"Well looks like I have two choices one to kill you now or wait until my betrothal is announced." He said moving his horse to my side and as he moved his hand to touch me, I saw a flash of silver move a whisker away from his hand and dig itself in the tree trunk behind him.

"Next time, I won't miss." Luke threatened and Lord George smiled before whispering, "Soon," and trotting down the side of the path looking at a surprisingly angry Clyde with both disgust and interest.

"I look forward to seeing you again my princess." He said in a fake bow before he galloped around the corner with the rest of the men waiting for him than once he was around the corner, the others galloped after him.

I patted Snow's neck and she walked forward. Not wanting to talk to Luke about his future mission for fear of crying, I stayed silent as Luke retrieved his knife and caught up to us.

Clyde seemed to pick up on the tension between us and for fear of spurring things on that might ultimately result in his death, he also stayed quiet.

We rode in silence till we had to go up a somewhat steep hill and so was forced to walk our horses. Luke only talked to tell us "to get off our horses and walk them." When we finally got to the top it was sunrise and Luke turned to finally look at me, "We need to set up camp." I didn't hear his words but somehow understood what he was saying. I nodded but couldn't tear my eyes away from Luke's blond hair that was lit up by the orange of the sunrise making it look like it was on fire. His light, blue eyes seemed to darken and with his skin. I finally found the strength to tear my eyes away from him when a hand touched my shoulder and Clyde pointed to a shadow moving in the woods.

The shape was distinguished; it was dog-like but taller than a regular sized dog or wolf. Its neck was long, slender and thick. It had a round head with long, pointy ears that stood up like it was listening to something. Its body had a small, visible dip in its back and its long legs made it look like an overgrown grey hound. The last thing about it was its tail; it was long and slender like a cat's. The animal altogether made it look perfect for running fast over long distances.

I tied my horse with the other horses to a fallen log. "Don't worry it won't get us...until tonight." I said turning to look back at Luke.

"What do mean, it won't get us until tonight?"

"Dorges only come in large numbers first off. That's probably just a scout; the rest of the pack will attack at night." I replied. "Well I'm going to go hunting for wood that I think I may have saw piled up near a tree." I said more to Luke than anyone.

He only nodded, acknowledging my comment.

That was the first time that he never tried to go without me although he usually went with me even if he saw that reasonably he should stay here. "I'll see you at night." I said before turning to look at Luke one more time, he wouldn't even look up at me, and so I turned to disappear into the forest. I felt my heart drop, if Luke wouldn't go back to his old self than I don't know what I do. I saw two branches bending to the ground and I pushed through it almost tripping over a rock but caught myself just in time. I trudged downhill and started to slide but I fanned my arms out just in time before I came to a complete stop. I looked behind me to see that I had slid down some loose gravel and turned to look back in front of me when a piercing yelp, than a bark came from behind me. I turned around and started running up the hill avoiding the spot where I had slid down. I pushed through the two tree branches to see the same dark shapes jumping into the camp and attacking someone. When I finally reached the top of the hill to a flat space, I drew out my green sword to slice through the dorge in front of me, killing it. I instinctively whipped around to pierce one's chest as it jumped at me. It yelped before its dead weight made me gasp for breath as I hit the ground. I pushed the dorge off and put my sword in front of me on so its sharp edge would face another of the animals and stop another dorge from clamping its jaws on me. I kept my hand on my hilt and shifted my weight so I pulled out my other sword and swung it at another dorge to my right but missed as it stepped backwards and growled at me. "Luke protect Clyde!" I yelled and saw a black shape stand over me piercing the dorge whose jaws were clamped on to my sword. I saw his fiery hair, smiled but the smile was erased as I saw his right arm being clutched to his side.

His face twisted with pain but he, held out his good hand and I took it as he painfully pulled me to my feet.

I smiled than turned my back to face him as another dorge jumped at me. I pierced it through its chest, moved my sword to where the animal fell to the ground, put my foot on the carcass and drew my sword out just in time to kill another one. "Where's Clyde?" I asked him and he pointed up to a tree before swinging his sword three times as the carcasses piled on top of each other. They stopped attacking and I saw them move in a circle around us, with their teeth drawn making them look like feral, tan mutated grey hounds. "Move closer to the tree as soon as they stop attacking again, one of us needs to climb the tree, and did you make all the horses disappear?" He nodded and I smiled knowing that Snow was safe away from here. "Is your arm okay?" I asked and he looked at his arm like he just noticed it.

He nodded but I knew better.

"Get closer to the tree." I ordered him but he shook his head, defiantly. "You're no good with that arm and if you keep this up you won't be any good to anyone else..." I was interrupted as a dorge jumped and I swung my sword slicing through its stomach. "Please Luke, my kingdom needs you to stay alive...I need you to stay alive."

He looked back at me than swung his sword half-heartily at a dorge who jumped for his throat. His sword cut through its chest making the animal fall to the ground yelping in pain. He looked back at it and brought the sword point down to finish the job. 'Please Luke."

I put in more silently and he backed up closer to the tree. I whistled twice and the dorges all seemed to stop and listen for a second before a flash of orange barreled into the dorge in front of me. I heard a growl to my side and twirled around to see a black and white tiger reaching to my waist in height.

The dorge nearest to me growled at the animal and took a step too close before the tiger swung a paw half-heartily at it, leaving long red welts down its side of its face. The dorge yelped and ran, the others breaking their organized circle and running after it. The only dorge that wasn't a carcass before the tigers came was left dead underneath a full grown black striped, orange and white tiger that stood on all four legs reaching up to my shoulder in height. It got off the carcass and licked its bloody claws.

"Hello Bang," I said scratching the white and black tiger's ear. It purred closing its eyes. "You can come down now, Clyde. It's okay they won't come back in a while." I looked up to see him staring at the two big cats, wide eyed with fright. "They won't hurt you, Well Bang won't anyway." I said walking over to Luke, "Can you give me your arm so I can heal it?" I asked him and he gave it to me, wearily. "Where were you bit?" I asked him and he pointed to a deep, wound on his bicep. I tore off a piece of fabric from my cloak and grabbed his free hand so he could sit on a rock near some small, bushes that I kept my bag in. I let go of his free hand as soon as he sat down and pulled the bag out of some forage and began to go through the bag for a canteen full of water. I felt the round shape, brought it out, and pulled the lid off with my teeth, than looked to him before pouring it on it.

He grit his teeth and yelped but I held down his arm by his forearm with my fee hand.

I stopped pouring the water and put the lid back on before tying the cloth over his wound. I tore off two other pieces from my cloak when I was done and wiped off the rest of the blood from his arm. I tied the clean piece over his arm, than I walked over under Clyde's branch and handed it to him. "Can you please put it up there to where the wind won't get it," he nodded his eyes still on the tigers before he reached out took it and put it underneath a piece of bark that was peeling off from the trunk. I walked back over to the canteen and poured some more water on my arm to get the blood off so no other animals would smell it and find us here. I put the lid back on tightly than put it back in the bag. "Clyde can you please come down here so you can help me gather some sticks," Clyde nodded slowly before he put two hands on the trunk, hung from it for a second before dropping to the ground in a crouch. "Thank you." I said as he reached my side. "I'll start on the right, you start on the left."

He nodded, moved over to his side as Bang trotted over to me, sat down near me as I spotted a stick and bent down to pick it up.

After a while, we finally had enough sticks after constantly dumping sticks in a pile near Luke but far enough away from anything green so we wouldn't start a wild fire. "Well looks like that's it." I said dusting off some dirt from my hands as I dumped my last pile and Clyde slumped down on his butt. "You're already tired?" I said teasingly.

"No, it's just my butts sore from sitting on such a hard branch."

I smiled, "I would step back if I was you." I told him and he looked at me confused before obeying my order. I pulled out a small, brunette from my hair, making the braid fall out and my hair fall in a soft, pile down my back. Four beads were fixed to stick on top of it. I pulled out an orange one and threw it into the sticks. A cloud of smoke arose from the pile blocking my view of the pile before a spark flew than a fire rose into the air becoming smaller and smaller to the size of a regular fire. I looked to Clyde who looked both astonished and afraid at the sight. "Siberia, Bang." I called both cats over and they sat on either side of me as I moved a stone over to where I could sit by the fire. Once Clyde was settled down I began to explain to him what the bead was. "Clyde," he looked up at me his eyes distant. "There are four tribes in Thrae, the world of which you are now in. That bead that I threw in the fire is a powerful object given to the fire tribe as a symbol of their power. Each bead represents their tribes by storing a little piece of its tribe's power in a ball. That ball can only be used when it hits an object than the power spills out. Once used it returns to its rightful place in its tribe. No matter how many people use it, it would always be returned to that place..." I looked at the brunette closely, remembering guilty memories. "The bead is a gift and must be used as so." I mumbled under my breath as I remembered the time my teacher or mentor found out that I had stolen a bead from the water tribe so as punishment I was forced to return the bead, in shame. Then I remembered my father forbidding me to go to my mentor than at last I remembered the way I felt afterwards; I quickly put the brunette back in my hair and wiped a tear away from my eye. "It's time for bed." I said walking over to my bag but instead found Luke asleep, his head was roughly placed against the trunk while the rest of his body was stretched out; his legs were laid out on the dirt. I smiled before finding his bag next to mine and dug out a gray blanket to place over him.

He hugged the blanket close to his chest, sleepily.

I than moved to my bag, dug out two blankets gave the blue one to Clyde and kept the green one for myself.

"Thank you." He said before situating his "bed" to where the rock was his pillow, the blanket was his mattress and his cloak was his blanket.

I laid my green blanket on the ground, and patted the blanket where my head would have gone. Bang got up from her sitting position and laid down to where I could use her back as a pillow. I patted the blanket near my stomach and Siberia laid down. I than took off my boots and cloak. I laid the cloak behind me and wrapped my arms around Siberia's neck and chest and closed my eyes but I couldn't go to sleep, so I sat up.

"Can't sleep?" came Clyde's voice from the other side of the fire.

"No," I answered, "I'll guess I could take first watch." I said standing up and moving to the dip in the trunk of a tree that Clyde had climbed previously. I lay against it and waited till my eyes got used to the darkness. My eyes had always been good at seeing in darkness so when I could finally see again, I skimmed my eyes over the forest before they finally settled on the face of Clyde who had leaned in towards me, so that he could see me better.

"Is there anything else I need to know about in this crazy world of yours?"

"First off it's only crazy to human eyes but to the inhabitants it's normal...Well I guess, you would like to know that the dorges never give up on a free meal unless it finds something better and easier to kill. So they will most likely come back. They're probably watching us right now and when they do come, we will be ready. And by "we" I mean me, the tigers and maybe Luke if he's needed. You will climb this tree that I'm lying on, out of the line of fire."

A moment of silence hung in the air before he finally spoke again, "Why can't we just ride the horses out of here, we'll be doing it any way in the morning and why do you have two tigers as pets that's not normal."

"Because that friend that I told you about is meeting us here..." I turned my eyes away from him to look at the forest of trees in front of me. . Siberia and Bang are not pets their companions. When a nature warrior is born they are given their first companion an animal that would stay with them, protect them and serve them till they die. Bang is my companion, I saved Siberia from a ditch when she was small and she's been by my side since. It's time for you to get some rest. We have a long way ahead of us and you'll be no more use than what you already are (which is close to nothing) if you can't even keep your eyes open. " I snapped at him and I saw him out of my corner of my eye lay back down than pull the covers to his chest.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine now go to sleep." I snapped once more and I heard him huff before he turned in his sleeping bag. I looked up at the night sky. The big dipper was to my right and my eyes caught a shooting star as it raced across the night sky. "Please let her get here in time." I made my wish before the star disappeared behind the half moon and the tip of a tree. I watched the darker shapes of dorges move in the tree line, not daring to come nearer afraid of being burned by the fire. My eyes became heavier as I struggled to stay awake but before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

I woke up to hoof beats and quickly stood up snapping my head in the direction. I noticed a black shape heading towards me and pulled out my sword reading it for the attack. When the figure was close enough to where I could see the huge, black horse and the pale familiar face of a friend. I slid my sword back in its scabbard and looked at both sleeping forms of the boys before approaching the paused form of the rider. "Did you have any trouble with her at all?" I whispered turning my head to look at the sleeping forms of my friends but my body still faced the way the rider had come.

"Nay but as soon as we reach are destination...she has eyes everywhere, Anna and one is but a short distance away."

I nodded my gratitude towards her before I turned to walk towards my friends. I kicked Clyde's back and he turned his head to look at me, sleepily. I than moved to Luke and kneeled before him as I heard the rider get off her horse to stand beside me, "He's been bitten and his arm needs time to heal. Is it right to make him ride in this state?"

The rider seemed to take a moment to decide before answering, "He has to ride either way. I'm sure he'll be okay."

I gently, touched his bandaged arm and he shivered before cautiously opening his eyes. "I'm just changing your bandages." I said untucking the bandage and unwinding it. Once the bandages were off, I smiled as I saw that the wound had stopped bleeding and put the heap of bandages on the dirt beside me. I reached to grab my bag which was on the other side of his boot, under the bush. I lifted it over his feet and dug into it for some water. I gave him the water and he shook his head pointing towards his bag which was lying against his thigh. I shook my head and seeing no point in arguing against me, he took the water carefully in both hands and began to drink it.

I heard footsteps move up behind me and turned to see Clyde with his sword's blade against the rider's neck.

"Who are you?" He growled his head next to her ear.

She put her hands up in surrender and was about to say something but I interrupted her stomping towards them, stopping a few feet away.

"She's a friend, Clyde let her go." I ordered him and he glared at me before he removed the sword from her throat and took a few steps back.

She rubbed her neck before she turned to look at me. "May I introduce myself?" she asked.

I reluctantly, nodded.

She smiled before she removed her black hood to reveal pure white hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes. Her pale lips smiled even more before she turned to speak to Clyde, "Welcome to Thrae (the world they're on now) human." She spat as Clyde opened his mouth to speak before a blood curling howl interrupted us. Me and Glacier exchanged glances before she trotted to her horse and swung herself on its back, while I kneeled next to Luke taking the water from him and putting the lid, tightly on it before putting it my bag. I stood up, stepping over Luke's form before I put an arm across his shoulder blades and put his hurt arm across my shoulders helping him get up as he winced in pain.

"What was that?" Clyde asked looking at me, questioningly.

I ignored his question and turned to Glacier hoping that she would magically make Luke's horse appear.

She smiled even more before snapping her fingers making Luke's pitch black horse appear with its left side facing us.

I mentally thanked Glacier before I helped Luke put his foot in the stirrup before I pushed him helping him swing his foot over the horse's high back and into the other stirrup. I quickly snapped my own fingers making Snow appear. I put my hand on her shoulder and boost myself up onto her back.

"We must hurry, they're coming." Glacier said wearily glancing at the forest to where she had heard the howl. She snapped her fingers giving Clyde a different bay with a black mane and light brown fur.

"Um, Glacier he can't ride bare back."

"We'll he'll have to learn. We don't have time to give him a saddle." She said slapping her reins and galloping out into the yellow hills before us.

I walked Snow over to Clyde and reached over to grab his hand moving it to where it touched the bay's mane. "Now boost yourself up." I said removing my hand and he hopped twice before he swung his foot over the horse's back, almost hitting the horses head but he bent his knee to where he missed and placed his feet in the stirrups. I looked to my two tigers who growled before racing off into the tree line to fight whatever lay behind it. "Now hold on," I warned him as I patted Snow's shoulders four times before she neighed, shook her head and galloped after the fleeing, black shape of Glacier. I closed my eyes as I felt the cool, breeze blow through my hair. I smiled, feeling the muscles under Snow's coat move underneath me in unison almost giving me the shape of what the ground was like under her hooves, a stumble told me there was a hole there, the horse slowing down told me we were about to go downhill or there was an object in front of us that she could either jump over or was forced to go around and the horse speeding up told me that we were near our destination. I turned to where I faced the two fleeing forms of Luke and Clyde, dorges were nipping at their horses heals and I knew at once that they needed a distraction so Luke could put Clyde on his horse and he could catch up to Glacier. I rolled my eyes before I turned Snow around to where she was charging into battle. 'Faster, faster," I encouraged her and she soon reached Luke and Clyde. I turned Snow around to where she almost stomped on a dorge that had tried to nip at Clyde's horse. "Get Clyde on your horse and go," I yelled at him as he stopped his horse to face Snow as she reared again to stomp on a dorge underneath her feet. I pulled a knife from my belt and stabbed a dorge that jumped at me than turned to look at Luke who had grabbed Clyde's arm making him jump from his horse to Luke's. "Go!" I yelled as I was knocked off my horse by a dorge that landed on top of me. Snow reared than nipped at Luke's horse's heels making the animal rear before it began galloping down after Glacier. I kicked off the dorge than quickly rolled out of the way when I heard hoof beats coming closer. I reached for a stick next to me and held it up just in time as a dorge clamped its jaws on it. "Go! The mission is more important than me!" I yelled but I saw a flash of black as Glacier in her cloak hopped off her horse and stabbed a dorge that jumped at her with her sword before hitting another dorge on her left than right. With all my strength, I pushed the dorge off of me and stood up; stabbing the dorge with my knife before I whistled for Snow.

She trotted to me after kicking off a dorge that tried to jump on her back but instead met her hoofs.

I nodded at Glacier before she said a few words while she pierced another dorge's chest than slammed the corpse into the ground.

A force field appeared and as the dorges jumped at us they hit the field making it waver like a bubble. The force field looked like it was made out of the same liquid that bubbles were made out of and that gave me a sense that it wouldn't be able to hold very long so, I swung myself on Snow's back as she stopped behind me still surrounded by the force field which was now showing cracks like a glass before it broke.

Glacier ran to her own horse as the field broke and yelled one word that I didn't understand before the horse took off running with me alongside it.

The dorges were catching up and were one foot away from catching us until finally we hit ash covered terrain which made them stop at the boundary marked by yellow grass on one side and ash on the other. They paced angrily alongside the border their mouths open revealing sharp fangs and a pink tongue that was dripping with drool as they breathed fast and hard. One dorge howled and the others looked at it than back at us before the biggest dorge closest to us, howled and ran back the way we came from with the rest of its pack following.

"Probably going back to eat their dead, I presume." I said to myself as I turned my head forward so I could see where I was going. We finally reached Luke and Clyde who had stopped their horses in a small clearing. Luke was still on his horse holding the reins to the bay. Snow stopped too soon and ash flew like a wave away from us. Snow stood back up from her almost sitting position and I slid off her back walking over to Luke who was still perched on his horse with Clyde behind him. "Where are we?" I asked him breathing hard.

"I don't know...I think we're in fire territory but I may be wrong. These trees are two far apart to be fire trees and up ahead of us should be a forest of them but there isn't. It must be...it has to be...Anna don't tell me you're going where I think we're going?" He said rolling his eyes in understanding.

I ignored his question and turned to Glacier, "Scout the area and come back when you see something that looks wrong."

She nodded pulled her hood over her head and trotted her horse by Luke who told her in a commanding voice, "Stop." She stopped once he reached out and grabbed her horse's mane making the animal stop.

He turned toward me, "I won't let anyone leave until you tell me what we are doing." He growled in an annoying voice, pulling his sword out of his scabbard and pointing it at Glacier who could easily slap it away. He looked at Glacier than to me, "If anyone of you leaves before I get an answer than at least one of you is getting a knife in them."

Author's Notes

Hi this is my second chapter so please remember to be courteous when criticizing and commenting. Also if nothing makes any sense as I have learned too late that my first had no connection whatsoever to the second chapter pls tell me thanks.