James gave a startled yip at this, his attention broken off his original intention. Wait... How'd he get our here...? Mordecai laughed at the expressions of the pair, smiled a little. "Let's get back to the cave, especially now that we're all healed up. No more rugged breathing, and no more broke limbs. Let's go, pups." Pups.... James just snorted at that. "I... How'd I get out here...?"

A silly question, but he truly hadn't any idea as to how he had.... This was just so weird, so strange....

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"James. How do you get anywhere? You walked." Ngea replied then rolled her eyes. She hoped she wasn't this annoying when she was like them. She turned suddenly remembering the saddle bags, grabbed them in her mouth then trotted into the den, her tail tip swaying behind her.

Adlaide tried to stand up, then fell forwards, nearly mashing her maw on the ground. Luckily she caught herself with her hands. She huffed again, "This is stupid." she growled walking towards the cave best she could on all fours. She felt ridiculous, she was crawling around because she had to learn how to walk. Well, know she knew what Ngea had gone through... Unlike James, who didn't seem to talk often, Adlaide had little trouble finding her voice.
So that's why she was like this, that breathing problem. Had it really gotten that bad? Well, perhaps it had. But that didn't matter much. Now she was a wolf-folk, and she had to figure out how to do everything all over again. She sat next to the fire and looked around, her wolfish brows fell low over her silvery eyes. This really was no fun.

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No, it wasn't... James followed after, stopping to help his sister to do so. Mordecai did get after him for it though, and sent the larger brute scampering towards the cave faster than Adlaide could walk. If she didn't learn to walk on her own, then it'd be her. It was learn, or die. That was how this world worked, the world they were now involved in. Walking was truly easy, once one mastered it. Having been born a pup, it'd been the opposite for Mordecai. He'd had to learn how to walk as a human... That had been interesting.

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Adlaide was actually beginning to feel comfortable with her appearance, though she was grateful for the horse hide. Just then she realized how much the horse hide stunk. Her muzzle wrinkled and she sneezed. Well, it could be worse.
She sighed and curled up into a little ball, she'd figure this out. She had too, she wouldn't let this take her down.
Just then an idea occurred to her, all she had to do was use her tail. It wouldn't be too different from walking like a human, right? Well, she could be wrong but the idea that it might be easier done made her feel a little boost of confidence.
And weren't Ngea and Mordecai able to shift? Her ears pricked and she gave a sound similar to that of a hum. With each new thought she grew a little more confident that she could do this. Everything was going to be alright... well, they still had to figure out how to save this world and all, but for now everything felt like it might actually turn out okay.

Ngea watched the siblings with a bit of worry. She didn't know how she felt about training them. She just hoped they would pull themselves together soon. She stretched and then lay down near the fire, staring into it's smoldering coals with a dreamy expression.
No she wasn't day dreaming, she was simply planning the next few days out. They could move to the hollow once James and Adlaide figured out how to walk and talk, and if they were lucky even shift. She'd only been able to bring enough meat back for a few days so someone would have to go hunting sooner rather than later.
After that who knew what they could do. Ngea didn't know for sure, but she figured she was lucky to have these strangers around.
She was even more glad that her earlier antics hadn't driven Mordecai off. She had been such a fool, everyone else was struggling too. She wasn't the only one. She took a breath and let it out as a long sigh, nearly contented but also a bit frustrated. It felt like it would be forever until they finally got around to breaking the kingdom from this horrible blackness.
Her maw twitched. No saving the kingdom could wait a little longer. She wasn't prepared to be called "your majesty" and be waited on hand and foot. That and she just didn't want to be stuck living in a castle. Perhaps someday she'd be ready, but she wasn't right then. She was still so very young, she could have a whole life in front of her.
(Wow. that's long... Also I'll be gone for most of next week after this weekend so I may not reply for a long while.)

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(D'aw... Well, have fun. XD I'll be waiting patiently as I can!)

A soft frown pulled at the man's features, Mordecai gently nudging his baby sister. The simple action was enough to, hopefully, bring her comfort. She needed it... He knew what was going through her mind, the thoughts, the process behind it all. She was queen of this kingdom now, and people would be lost without her. ALl she needed was a good friend, truly...

James watched from the opposite side of the fire, he having chosen to lay down much like a wolf would. It felt weird to do so, but he did. It made him feel...better, he supposed, that he was actually somewhat decently comfortable. Ngea had his attention, and he wanted to comfort her. SHe looked so miserable from where he was sitting... What was going through her mind...?

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(Patience young Jedi! =D)

Ngea glanced at Mordecai and offered a smile. Returning her attention to the coals she found herself wandering onto a entirely new train of thought. It's wan't nearly as bad as the previous thought that had been rolling through her mind. She sat up and stretched eyes sparkling. "As much as I love sitting around staring off into space, I think we should do something to get to know each other better." It wasn't often she'd suggest something like this, but she kind of wanted to get to know the people that would supposedly save this world. "No one has to say anything if they don't want to... it'd be kind of nice to just get to know everyone." She paused and glanced around, this was extremely new to her and she couldn't help but feel awkward.
"My favorite color is green grey. Though I've been told that grey isn't exactly a color." She glanced towards the ceiling.

Adlaide smiled from where she lay. "Green grey is a color." She managed to say after a few tries. Then she wriggled and sat up, trying to think of something. Her brows furrowed and then she gave a little nod. "I like blue." For now until she could actually master the art of speaking again she would try to keep things short and sweet and too the point. Which was going to be hard for Adlaide.

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Poor Adlaide. Mordecai smiled, chuckled softly to himself. She was rather sweet. The hard core wolf found her beautiful. She was sweet. "I think... Brown. I like brown..." He then answered. It was a wonderful color, to him, at least. Reminded him of the earth. They needed to hear from James, then. He was silent a few moments, his gaze upon the fire.

"... Black... I like black..." Even though it was the absence of color, he did like it. Why he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was just how he normally was. The man was often silent and still. Plenty of people forgot he was there.

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"Grey green, blue, brown and black. It sounds like the colors of a storm." For some reason, the notion that those colors were like a storm, Ngea felt a boost of confidence about what was to come. But then she found herself half frozen, the sound of something in near the entrance causing her fur to lift in the slightest. Her nostrils flared, so much for the peaceful moment...
She tore open the saddle bags and sorted out the contents, giving each of the siblings a set of clothing. "Get that on quick. I have a feeling we'll have to move out soon and very quickly..." She looked at Mordecai. "What are they doing here?" She hissed standing and stalking towards the entrance. The night-folk had come and chances were it wasn't for a cup of sugar.
Now they really needed to get to that place she had scouted out earlier, it would be a far better place to defend than this cavern. They would easily be trapped here, out there it would be next to impossible. But... how would they siblings hold up in a desperate race for life? Probably not very well but that chance might have to be taken. Ngea shook her head, they might loose one of them... she could hardly bear the thought and her heart stuttered in her chest for a second. Staying here would be a death sentence, but moving out there might mean sacrificing one of them.

Adlaide pawed at the pile of clothing. It sure didn't look like it'd fit. Then again, it probably had some sort of strange qualities. She grumbled then slunk into the dark, returning not too long after wearing cream and brown colored clothing. She flopped down next to the fire again, ears pinned.
She wasn't exactly all to fond of the idea of having to move somewhere soon at any pace faster than a crawl. But by the way Ngea looked and the scents from outside they would have little choice.

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Clothes? James frowned at this. He glanced towards the entrance then, watched as Mordecai quickly shifted forms and went to the entrance. His human form was going to be of use here, thankfully. He told Ngea with a glance to get the pair towards the back, and see if they couldn't shift... They'd be useless to them like this.

"Hail, night folk! What brings you here to our cave this night?" Perhaps he could diffuse this situation... See what they wanted... One of them looked rather young, a girl, from the shape.

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Ngea leaped towards the back, quietly telling the siblings to follow quickly. She soon had disappeared in the dark. Adlaide attempted to follow only at a fairly slow pace. Ngea nearly startled Adlaide to death when she touched her shoulder with her hand and whispered something into her ear. "Time for a quick shifting lesson." She had whispered then rattled off a few instructions.
Only when Adlaide had crawled to the side and sat down looking extremely focused did Ngea turn her attention to James. She grabbed his shoulder and narrowed her eyes. "The both of you aren't going to be very helpful in this situation unless you are in your original forms. James, first off if you are told to run I want you to do so and don't look back. Do I make myself clear? For now, I want you to think about home... or your fondest memory. That should trigger the shifting process."

Meanwhile Adlaide had closed her eyes and was remembering every little fond memory she could summon. The words Ngea had whispered in her ear were somewhat dispairitive but it also made her want to be certain she did what she could to survive.
Her maw twitched and she sank into deeper thought, forbidding the notion of James living alone with such beasts on this planet. No she wouldn't allow it. That was the good thing about Adlaide's stubborn nature, she could survive on sheer will alone at times.

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James' ears flattened at that. Run? It wasn't in him to do so, to be honest... So he couldn't make any promises there, simply because he knew it was one he couldn't keep. The male was a born fighter, always had been. It was his job to look after his sister, to protect her, keep her safe.

As for his fondest memories...? There weren't all to many. It seemed all he could focus on were the ones that had ripped their family to shreds, the bad things that had happened to them... How did one focus on something good? Right now, it looked extremely grim, especially with Mordecai and those nightfolk out there. His gaze shifted a moment towards the entrance, and then he just shut his eyes. Perhaps he could figure out how to shift...maybe...

And Mordecai? He was a little wary that he'd gotten no answer. They were silent, these creatures...to silent, and the young one couldn't, or wouldn't, meet his gaze. Was that a chain about her neck? They'd turned her.... "Excuse me," he again called to the one who was obviously the leader of this pack. "Might I ask what it is you need?"

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Ngea's attention shot towards the front, she had a sick feeling in her gut as though something terrible might happen. She took in a breath then turned to watch the siblings. A muscle in her jaw jumped. She trusted in them, they had to be able to do this. Deep down inside she knew they could, but as of that moment she was beginning to doubt her own instincts.


Adlaide's mind weaved in and out of focusing. She couldn't help but be worried for Mordecai, he was actually pretty nice. She knew he was a wolf-folk and had survived this long but... still, she had good reason to worry.
Her brows furrowed, she had to stop letting her mind wander. A growl rumbled in the back of her throat.

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(Would you like to play some of the evil vampires? XD I got the chained girl covered.)

Mordecai, to say the least, felt himself tensing. It seemed that this was about to become a feeding frenzy... Vampire bites hurt for his kind, yes, but if they got a hold of James and Adlaide? There was no telling what would happen. It could kill them...or it could mutate them into a hybrid... For now, he had to keep their focus, their attention, out here while the siblings worked on shifting back to human form. He was beginning to wonder if this judgement was a good idea. They had no horses, and wolf paws were faster than human legs....

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(Not sure how that'd turn out. I'm having a horrible time with Ngea sometimes. xD)

While it was true that wolf paws were far faster than human feet, Ngea knew that Adlaide and James weren't exactly well suited to their paws yet. Carefully she withdrew a knife from it's hidden sheath. Her eyes flickered darkly for a second and she took a deep breath.
One thing she hadn't told anyone about her earlier days of being a wolf-folk was the fact she had learned a few things that weren't exactly... the greatest. Her first time actually shifting from a wolf into a more humanish form was a mistake. One that no one knew about.
According to the conversation Mordecai was having with the night-folk she was thinking she had to use this information to help them all survive. A muscle in her cheek jumped, obviously the idea wasn't one she enjoyed much.

Adlaide's ability to concentrate was honed now, her thoughts were back home... on earth, full of memories about her mother and father. Her eyes closed a wolfish smile was set gently on her face. A warm thrum started in the back of her throat, as she sat there it started to slowly turn into a more humanish like hum.

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(No worries. XD Makes sense. I just like having someone else play a bad guy so Im' not, in essence, fighting myself. Easy peasy!)

Mordecai glanced about a few moments, shrugged to himself. "Alright...suit yourself, gentlemen." He lashed out at the one that jumped him, sharpened nails raking across the creature's chest. It did howl with pain, yes, and didn't get up quite yet. His attention snapped to another one, he getting tackled from a third. A wolf could easily take on three vampires at once...but this was a group of six or seven.

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