"I'll do it, Ngea. You know I wouldn't make you do it... Besides, you said that other man made it. They can, too. They've survived far worse trials than the other man did. I- .... We need to move..."

He tensed, felt the ground shake. An army of horses should not have reached the castle this fast... "Go, go, Ngea! I'll get the siblings!" He moved towards the healer, James and Adlaide. "We need to get moving, now! Follow me!" Whatever was going on, the entire castle was beginning to shake, and screams could be heard outside.

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Ngea nodded and shot off at a sprint disappearing around a corner before allowing her true form to come out. Then she was gone, a flash of fur and fury as she moved towards the sounds of screams. She moved like lightning, taking down the first enemy which she came across. She'd follow the siblings and Mordecai in just a little bit, but for now she had to make sure to take down a few enemies first and clear the way.

Adlaide heard the screaming and took in a sharp breath. She followed Mordecai without a thought, hardly caring as Ngea shot off in some direction. "What's happening?" Adlaide said eyes wide and wary. She stuck to James side like glue, this felt like the ship falling apart all over again.
She looked James in the eye and inwardly cringed. They would have to run again? Go somewhere else? She was beginning to think they were just plain bad luck. Everywhere they went, wherever they had been, death and destruction was there. Guilt shot like ice through her veins, nearly making her halt in this strange race for life.

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She was helped with the killing of these monsters. They did not have fire like the demons did. They were shadows... Dispersed with every kill shot. But they didn't stay dead... Not for long. But arrow after arrow was put into the strange creatures, her father helping her. She needed all the aid she could get.

James, though, caught his sister gently. "Addy, we need to go... Come one..." He knew they needed to flee. They did. What more choice did they have? They needed to flee... Now. He jumped a little, hearing the noise outside. Death... It did follow them... It truly did. What did they do? They needed to flee... "Adelaide... Come on..."

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Ngea heard the soft whisper of arrows flying through the air and glanced her father's way. There were so many of these shadowy things but, they fell rather easily. The only thing was they came back, even faster than they fell. She lunged at one cornering a few civilians, killing it with one simple snap of her jaws. The people looked at her afraid for a moment but she was gone again before anyone could cry out.

Adlaide nodded slowly, taking steps forwards slowly. "It follows us... doesn't it?" She whispered staring wide eyed in the direction of the horrible screams. She stared for only a minute longer before racing forwards her short legs working quickly. But where was it safe? Could safety really come to people that seemed to drag death and destruction along as they moved through life?

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It was hard to tell... Mordecai, though, had the siblings upon a sturdy horse, and before their very eyes, shifted forms. That had James about falling off, but the horse tore off after the werewolf. They knew him, his scent, and so they knew they'd be safe with the wolf folk. At least, this one. Mishani came chasing after them, and soon, her husband with. He gave a sharp whistle, calling to their daughter. They'd done what they could, and people had been evacuated. It was time to flee.

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Ngea came running side by side with the horse the siblings were on. The reaction she was sure had been good when Mordecai had shifted and she couldn't help but shake her head a gleeful light in her eyes. She moved easily, her lithe form seemed just barely taxed as she galloped along next to them. She was glad that the shadows did not bleed, blood was a mess and hard to clean from her thick soft pelt. The shadows just disappeared, no clean up necessary you'll just be fighting shadows the rest of your life.

Adlaide very nearly shrieked when Mordecai turned into a wolf but managed to keep it down to a squeak. Another crazy horse ride, great. The sarcastic thought was far from amusing and she found herself nearly sliding off several times. When another wolf, this one strangely enough reminding her of Ngea came up, her eyes nearly grew to the size of small saucers.
This place just kept getting crazier and crazier. Now thought it made sense why Ngea and Mordecai were whispering in the corner, they wanted to keep Mordecai's secret safe. Adlaide then knew that Ngea was also a wolf-folk, but that made no sense. Wasn't she the daughter of an elfin person and whatever Mishani was? Was she adopted?

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Mishani saw the look on her face. "We were attacked when she was a child! Our eldest son died protecting her, and she was found nearly dead. Mordecai came into the picture that night, and offered us aid. He's been with us ever since. It's rare that people live through it, but those who do are often stronger than the ones who bit them!" A bite could be lethal, or it could be their saving life.

"Ngea, take them to the caverns past the Canyon! Your father and I will meet you there!" They had to split up, or else they'd be followed. They needed to do this...

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Ngea hesitated for a few strides then bumped the horse with her nuzzle, guiding it towards the south. She lifted her head glanced over her shoulder watching her parents disappear then turned her head forwards letting herself fly faster guiding the horse swiftly over broken ground.
It wasn't long before they got to the caverns and she ducked out of sight to shift back into her usual form. When she returned she nodded to the siblings. "You two are going to have to learn to defend yourselves, you'll be picked off in no time other wise."

Adlaide slipped from the horse's back, still try to absorb all the information which she had been given. Yes, she had been the one to first believe this all, but now these wolf-folk? They were hard for even her to believe. She tipped her head to one side and squinted, yes, Ngea looked a lot like a wolf even in this form.
She blinked and glanced at James, almost uncertain whether to actually trust the strange being. She partly agreed they should indeed learn to defend themselves, but she wasn't to keen about trusting someone with the instincts of an animal.

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"We're not animals, child," Mordacai stated, snorting. "We're still very much human, but we prefer our wolf skin. So please, don't go treating us differently, or stating at us differently. We're no different from you." James, though, at this point, just fell of the horse again as he tried to get off. At least he just fell on his butt... This sucked. They were in such a strange world. And he didn't know if he liked it or not...

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(James is having a toddler moment. x'D)

Adlaide nodded slowly. "I see. I... just... well, there's no excuse really. It's just hard, coming to a different world and having all these crazy things happen. Not exactly knowing anything that's happening, just knowing that when you're told to run for your life you had better or else... It's not like I hate it here, it's really gorgeous and eventually I might grow to like it here, it's just hard to accept things." She sank down to the ground and sat letting out a long sigh.

Ngea raised her brows slightly then dipped her head in recognition. "Being a kid who only knew one world and all of a sudden got thrust into another one is hard. I've been there." She offered a shrug. "For being considerably wimpy you two are a whole lot tougher than you might think." She then added under her breath, her voice quietly echoing in the entrance of the cavern. "You've sure surprised me several times."
She lifted her chin and jerked her chin towards the setting sun. "Mother and father should be here soon enough, you two should get a little sleep." She glanced at James. "Just talk to either of us if your arm starts hurting again, Mordecai has more herbs than the world knows what to do with."

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(Yup, he is. XD Probably doesn't help he's never rode a horse.)

Hopefully they'd make it, yes... It was hard to tell if they would, though. Those beasts were relentless. Truth was? Ngea would never see her parents again... They'd sent one of the horses to her, they stallion knowing where to go. It carried a satchel for their daughter. A letter was in it, along with something that would be hers to keep. Her parents had, unfortunately, passed away...

The horse would take time to get there, though. Mordecai, though, had medicine ready for James at this point, telling him to put the salve upon his bruises. It'd help to heal the bruises much more quickly, in all honesty. "Get some rest. We will leave come morning light... Those creatures...they seem to be full of the night."

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Ngea sat at the mouth of the cavern, poised to leap down from her perch upon anything or anyone that entered. She glanced Mordecai's way then grunted. "I'll take first watch and then stay up till my parents arrive." She felt as though there was a stone in the pit of her stomach, it shouldn't take them so long to get here. "Perhaps they took the route through Thistlebrooke, chances are they'll arrive long after dark."

Adlaide sat down against the wall, sliding down slowly to the ground. She looked at James her eyes tired and wary. this whole, running for your life, thing was growing old fast. What was the point of surviving even if they were just going to end up in another situation, perhaps one that they couldn't escape.
At the castle, she had been given a heavy cloak and now she wrapped it about herself to hopefully find some sort of sleep in this terrible night. She didn't bother to look at the sunset, it too was growing old fast or so it seemed. Or maybe she was just growing tired of the terrors that came along with the night. Either way, she sat staring at the far wall, her gaze blank and round.

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Mordecai gave a nod, glancing back towards the humans. "The boy is running a fever... It's low at the moment, but if we don't find a place to rest other than a cave, he could easily catch his death out here. I... Ngea, do you want me to go scout ahead?" he asked then, frowning. Her parents should have been here, yes. Going through Thistlebrooke was a long and dangerous road... Why would they risk taking it? Everyone avoided it...except the folks that lived there. They were hardy, and for the most part, unfriendly, even. Liked to do their own thing.

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Ngea gave a deft nod, rising she leaped from the stone, and when she landed it was on all fours and as a wolf. She padded over to Mordecai looked up at him with worried golden eyes, then turned and trotted out her head sinking towards the earth.
The look had carried a message, and she was certain it would carry easily. Mordecai was just like her brother, he understood a single glance. That glance's simple meaning nearly broke her heart. If James temperature rose any the best option would be to bite him. It also carried the message that she figured her parents weren't coming back.

Adlaide stood up then. "We could start a fire, that would keep James warm until Ngea gets back. Inside the cave it won't smoke badly, and if we only gather dry wood it will burn hot enough to not smoke at all." She fingered the edge of the cloak her brow bent with worry. Their numbers were slowly dwindling, though she had a lot of faith in Mishani and her husband according to the two wolf-folks faces she was wondering if they were actually going to come.
She looked at James once more, her heart thudding horribly in her chest. The last thing she needed was to be left all alone here, with only strangers. The thought struck her cold and square in her chest, causing her to loose her breath for a few long seconds. She went over to James and knelt by his side, her eyes piercingly silver and completely serious. "Don't leave me alone here James." She nearly whispered, grabbing his hand.

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"Hmm...? I'm not going anywhere, Addy... I'm just cold..." He'd been cold the entire trip, for the most part. He couldn't eat much, and the medicine, while helpful, could only do so much. Illnesses here were a death sentence unless you had money, which they did not, or were an immortal, like the elves, wolf folk, and night walkers. Sure, there were plenty other mythical creatures out there, but those were the main ones people knew about.

Mordecai, before Ngea had left, pressed his forehead to hers before kissing it. "Be safe, sister..." he then murmured softly. That was when his attention turned towards the siblings. "Your brother... if worse comes to worse, I will help him. Stay here in the cave. I'll locate firewood."

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