by H B Lyne
'Okay Ariana. Don't panic. You're just on your own, in Hepethia, full of hostile demons and fae who don't know you. Nothing to worry about,' she muttered to herself.
'You're not on your own.' The voice made her jump and she spun around to locate it. Grins-Too-Widely was sat looking at her in his usual way in the middle of the rooftop. Ariana put a shaking hand on her chest and struggled to control her breathing.
'I'll keep you company for a while,' the fox said silkily, grinning at her all the while.
Ariana suppressed the discomfort she felt from looking at his freakish mouth as he spoke, the grin never faltered and the sounds that came out were a little bit wrong, a symptom of the long life this former shifter must have lived. Ariana took a deep breath and cast her eyes across the territory again, trying not to look at the fox.
'Thank you. Can I ask, do we all become like you in the end?'
'If you survive, yes. Few do,' the fox replied. She could feel his eyes on her but couldn't look at him.
'Are you immortal?'
'No. Age may still end me, albeit very slowly.'
'How old are you?' Ariana's gaze snapped to the fox and he tilted his head this way and that, as if searching his memory for the answer.
'I do not know how to communicate that to you. The last time I took a human form was long before you were born and I was an old man then. Human measures of time mean nothing to me now. The seasons, the sunrises, it is all I know and all a blur, I cannot count them.'
Ariana couldn't imagine living so long and didn't feel like she would wish to end her days stuck in Hepethia in some distorted form. She shuddered at the thought and cast her eyes over the territory.
In the distance a black, winged shape swooped down from the tumbling purple clouds and took a dive into the dark city streets. When it emerged again there was something clutched in its claws and it disappeared back into the stormy sky. Ariana was startled and her eyes flicked directly overhead.
'Try not to worry. This place is well protected. We won't be troubled here.' Grins-Too-Widely spoke quietly beside her. Ariana nodded, she knew she could trust him, he was her ally. He may be difficult to look at, she doubted she would ever get over that, but she felt at ease in his presence. She thought about how he had protected and guided her when she ran to find Weaver and before that, when he had shown her the edges of the territory. The memory clawed at her, something didn't feel right. That was the night Weaver had been bitten, the first night. A deep frown creased her brow and she chewed the inside of her mouth, clutching at the details.
'You told me you would lead me to my new name. The night Weaver-of-Sky's-Loom was bitten. I think you were wrong, it was her that found her name following those events.' She looked down at him to see him gazing out across the city.
'I set you on the path. You have a short distance still to travel, but you will find yourself.' His voice was distant, as though his thoughts were really somewhere else. Ariana didn't like the cryptic answer.
'How will I know the path?' she asked, frustration causing her voice to crack.
'You will know. Follow your instincts. Your name is a reflection of your true self, who you are and who you will be, it is already inside you waiting to be found. Trust yourself. That is all you can do.' He was still gazing away from her and silently he stood up and took a step closer to the edge of the roof. She followed his gaze but couldn't see anything remarkable in his eye line. She felt frustrated by his advice, impatient to find answers and she let out a small snarl. Without a backward glance at her, however, Grins-Too-Widely stepped off the edge of the roof and disappeared into the night.
'Great. Just great.' Ariana leaned against the chimney stack and sighed. She waited, watching the sky and the streets below. She saw huge shapes lift themselves out of the streets and drop back down. More winged creatures swooped out of the clouds and the factories never ceased in their rhythmic groaning and lurching. Ariana let her thoughts roam over recent events, trying to put all of the pieces together, to make some sense of the chaos of the last four days. Her eyes began to feel heavy and drift out of focus.
A dark fluttering shape at the corner of her eye grabbed her attention, but the moment she looked for it it was gone. She stood to attention and scanned the roofs of the terrace leading away from her. There was nothing there. There was something familiar about whatever she had glimpsed, however, and she started walking carefully along the rooftop. She reached the end of the terrace but had seen nothing and she soon began to doubt herself. With a sigh she turned and set off back to the betting shop. As she approached she heard a noise on the fire escape and carefully she peeked over the edge. Shadow hopped nimbly up over the top rail and onto the roof beside her. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back from the edge.
'Are you all right?' Shadow asked. 'You look like you've seen a ghost.'
'No, nothing like that, I'm fine, thank you. Just a bit jumpy I suppose, from being here alone in the quiet.' Her shoulders gave an involuntary shudder and Shadow gave a nod of understanding.
'Of course. Let's go inside.' He let her go first, and together made their way back down to the ground and back across the veil.
All was quiet in the betting shop. Fortune was still sleeping. Weaver and Eyes were sat talking quietly in the kitchen when Ariana and Shadow entered. Stone, Flames and Wind Talker hadn't returned yet, but it was still early.
Ariana helped herself to some food while Shadow disappeared upstairs. Weaver leaned close to Ariana as she sat down beside her and whispered conspiratorially.
'Eyes and I are talking about making a break for it.' She flashed Ariana a wicked grin, but Ariana scowled at her. She looked at Eyes, who was still looking worn down, his head in his hands and his eyes fixed on the table. He glanced up, apparently feeling her eyes on him and he shrugged.
'I'm sure we could take care of ourselves, the three of us,' he whispered.
Ariana couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.
'And do what? Go where? Eyes might be feeling cooped up and worried for his family,' she hissed. 'But you, Weaver, you just got back from being abducted and tortured. Why on earth would you want to go out there without... the others?' She crossed her arms and stared down the pair of them. 'I nearly said without a grown up then.' She huffed, feeling like a young teenager rather than a grown woman.
'It's not just feeling cooped up though, is it?' Weaver spoke softly and there was sadness in her eyes. 'It's Eyes' family being in danger and him wanting to protect them.'
Ariana tutted. Weaver had a point.
'It's way too dangerous,' Ariana sighed.
'Not if the three of us go together,' Eyes whispered urgently. 'The scents would be jumbled up together and harder to identify.' He looked at Ariana with such intensity and she could feel how desperate he was to be near his family. She felt herself softening.
'All right but it's a reconnaissance mission only. We get as close to your house as we can without getting close to the territory border and we watch the place for a while.' Eyes started to object but Ariana held a hand up to stop him. 'I won't budge on this. I know you want to see them, but you've spoken to them on the phone and know they are fine for now, so we guard them tonight, that's all. I won't have you leading the Witches right to your door.'
He opened his mouth with objections, but he promptly closed it and gave one curt nod, an appraising look on his face. Weaver grinned and moved quickly to the back door.
'Let's go now, quickly while the coast is clear.' She held the door open and Ariana and Eyes dashed out into the cool night. Weaver closed the door and the three of them shifted form silently and set off running. It was the first time Ariana had seen Fights-Eyes-Open in his wolf form, his fur was grey, almost silver. Weaver was a stunning, black cat and Ariana took her fox form, as was becoming habit. She wanted to try changing into something else, but Shadow seemed to want to keep her ability a secret, even from the pack and she quickly pushed the thought aside in case one of the others caug
ht hold of it through their pack telepathy.
Ariana thought about sending out her plea for protection to Grins-Too-Widely as she had done before, but quickly changed her mind. She didn't want to draw attention to their clandestine night wandering. The last thing they wanted was for the old fox to go straight to Fortune and tell him what they were up to. Instead she thought only of the night and the darkness and willed them to hide her and her young pack mates.
As she did so she glimpsed a flicker of pure black shadow chasing them, the same image in the corner of her eye that she had seen on the rooftop. Somehow she knew that the three of them would not be seen or heard. Her silent plea had been heard and they were protected from those senses at least, if not the most important one for their kind, the sense of smell was still against them. Eyes had been right about the mingling of their three trails, it would be confusing and more difficult to pick out any one, though their combined trail would be easier to follow.
Ariana led the others down back alleys, through gardens and down deserted back streets. They managed to stay cloaked in shadow almost all of the time and Ariana felt the influence of the powers she had invoked at work.
Soon they were drawing close to the neighbourhood that Eyes and his family lived in. The three odd animals slowed to a brisk walk and crept in the shadows towards his street. Ariana sniffed the ground and the air around them. There was nothing to cause any alarm. She caught images from Eyes' mind that showed her which house was his and just as she had insisted he came to a halt nearby but not too close. It was a wide street, trees and bushes lined the roadside and many houses had driveways and large gardens. Ariana could just make out a very nice looking black car in the driveway of Eyes' house.
The three of them settled down amongst some bushes on the opposite side of the street and about four doors down from his house. The street was quite well lit, which hindered their ability to hide, but it was late at night and the houses were all dark. There was a stillness in the air and it sent a small shiver of concern up Ariana's spine.
They sat there for what felt like hours. The occasional car swept past them and they hunkered down low to the ground to hide themselves from the headlights. Ariana was anxious, there was a nagging sensation in her gut that something was not quite right. The night was too quiet and she thought that one of the others would have come looking for them by now. She was just trying to communicate this to Weaver and Eyes when a sudden gust of wind blew a flurry of fallen leaves down the street towards them. All three of them jumped up, their heckles raised. The leaves blew right past them down the street, leaving a trail of dropped leaves in the wake of the wind.
We have to leave right now. Ariana thought and Weaver meowed in agreement. Eyes looked wistfully at his house and Ariana knew he was torn. Why come here to guard them if only to flee the moment something threatens them? She understood how he felt but every instinct told her to get away from this place, for the very safety of his family and for themselves. She led them up a small side road and back towards the betting shop, sticking to the small, unlit roads so that they could run hell for leather without too much fear of being seen.
Several times on the run back Ariana saw or heard this strange gust of wind, apparently blasting its way right through their territory, picking up leaves and debris from the road on its way and dropping it again in its wake. Like a mini tornado streaking through St. Mark's.
They arrived back at the betting shop just ahead of the wind. Shifting form mid stride Ariana burst in through the back door. The kitchen light was on and the rest of the pack were assembled waiting for them. Fortune burst forward and pulled her into the room. Weaver and Eyes slipped in behind her and someone slammed the door.
'Where the hell have you three been?' roared their Alpha, still holding Ariana roughly at the elbow.
There was no time for an explanation. The front door of the shop crashed open and the window pane rattled ominously. Shadow's Step was the first into the hall but the pack were close behind him. They jockeyed for a position to see from inside the small cash office and Ariana felt the veil shuddering with the influence of eight shifters and a powerful elemental all in the vicinity. The fae that had rampaged across their territory and burst into their headquarters manifested before them. It was clearly a wind elemental, it was a pillar of swirling air with debris trapped within its folds of mist.
Stone and Fortune were at the front of the pack, Fortune took an aggressive stance, but Stone, the pack negotiator raised a hand to calm him.
The elemental spoke, its voice nothing more than a whisper rushing through the air, but Ariana felt it go right through her, it echoed around the room and the words couldn't have been more clear.
'Keep the mewling wretch. We're finished.'
And as suddenly as it had entered their realm the elemental was gone, leaving the Blue Moon silent and every eye on Weaver-of-Sky's-Loom.
Chapter Sixteen
20th November
'Okay. Well that's good, right?' Weaver said quietly, looking around at the pack.
'Eyes,' Fortune barked. 'Get back to your family.' Eyes was out of the door before the Alpha had even finished. 'Everyone else, get some rest. It's been a long few days for all of us.' Fortune stomped up the stairs while the others lingered for a moment. Ariana felt unsettled by his abruptness. Could this conflict with the Witches be over so suddenly? She didn't quite believe it.
Weaver looked sheepish, Ariana sensed that she was embarrassed and just as unsure as Ariana was.
'Listen to Fortune,' Shadow said softly, patting Ariana on the shoulder. 'Get some rest.' He passed them and followed Fortune upstairs. The others drifted off. Morning had broken amid the chaos, so Flames went to open up the shop. Stone took Weaver up to the attic and Wind Talker decided to head down to the basement, having had some rest while Ariana and the others had been guarding Eyes' family. He cast her a dark look as he passed her, and her insides squirmed with guilt for excluding him.
She sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out her phone. This new life was exciting and terrifying, but more than anything else, it was pulling her away from the things she had wanted for so long. She looked through her old messages from Rhys with a sense of longing, she needed him in her life, she missed him so much.
Hi. How are you? Life has been manic here. Really hope to see you soon, love Ariana xx
She rested her head on her arms on the table and closed her eyes, exhaustion starting to take hold of her. Just as she started to drift off to sleep, her phone buzzed on the table and startled her. She grabbed the phone and opened the message.
Hi, so glad to hear from you. Pretty manic with work myself. Yeah, would be good to meet up soon xx
Ariana smiled and thought about when and where to suggest meeting. Her life was so unpredictable now. How could she possibly make plans and keep them? Frustrated, she punched a brief reply into her phone.
OK, I'll be in touch soon and let you know when I'm free xx
She stood up, shoved the phone into her pocket and went to her little room to sleep.
21st November
Something resembling normal life began to take shape over the next day. Ariana slept a lot during the day and found herself up at night, like several other pack members and she supposed that this was normal in a family of largely nocturnal animal shifters. Lily slept in a room of her own, away from the pack and dutifully worked in the shop, as she had done throughout the chaos of Weaver's abduction. She asked few questions and yet seemed to know everything.
They were sitting together for their evening meal. Stone and Fortune jostled around them preparing and serving a tasty fish and pasta dish. Lily leaned in close to Ariana and gave her a friendly smile.
'We're both different, Ariana,' Lily whispered carefully. Ariana regarded her closely and then glanced around the kitchen to check that the rest of the pack were not eavesdropping.
'How do you mean?'
'Well, I can't change at all yet and you, well, there's more
to you than a scruffy urban fox.'
Ariana was taken aback.
'I don't, I can't imagine, I mean that's just... what are you saying?'
'Well, I was only mildly suspicious, but your reaction just confirmed it. What is it? What is so different about you?' Lily asked, her voice full of excitement.
Ariana looked around anxiously again. No one was paying them the slightest bit of attention.
'I seem to be able to shift into a cat too, maybe other things but I haven't tried. It's been total chaos and when I found out I wasn't normal it freaked me out. Shadow knows, so it's not a total secret or anything and I really want to talk to Fortune about it.'
Lily's eyes went wide.
'Can you show me?'
Ariana grinned and nodded. The two young women slipped away quietly and snuck down into the basement. Ariana had tried hard not to think about her unusual ability and with everything that had happened since she changed it had been easy not to dwell on it. Now that she had the chance she was excited to see what she could do. Lily took a seat on the bench and watched expectantly.
Ariana shook out her limbs and concentrated hard. She knew she could shift into a cat, so she tried that first, willing her body to take the shape of a small, grey cat. She felt everything crunch and shrink and shift, then looked up at Lily watching with wide eyes.
With a shake and some serious focus, Ariana made herself stretch and change into a beautiful dark grey wolf. She turned a few circles in the cold basement, trying to catch sight of her own tail and Lily erupted into peels of laughter.
Ariana let out a low bark of elation and then concentrated on the black and white, shuffling form of a badger, a moment later she was compelled to dart for the shadows under the stairs, drawn into the darkness by her new badger instincts.
She emerged and focused all of her will on the form that she thought would be hardest to achieve, being the only flying animal among the usual shifter forms, an owl. She had no idea if she could do it or if she would be able to fly if she managed it. With great force of will, Ariana made her body change. She pictured a snowy owl and felt her limbs creaking and straining to take that form. With a delighted hoot she flapped her wings and managed to take off and flutter slightly awkwardly up off the ground and over Lily's head. Lily clapped and cheered as Ariana flew around the small space as best she could with such limited room.
