Chapter Six

A young woman, eighteen years old with red curly hair and many freckles crept through a forest of violent colors. Dressed in black from her knee-high boots to her turtleneck shirt; she wore the outfit of an Akeefa warrior, as that was what she was.

Her name was Muriel, and she was on her second day of break from war. In two more days, she would have to return to battle, so she had decided to go visit her best friend, Istelle, the daughter of the Akeefa chief, who was also an Akeefa warrior like herself.

Istelle and Muriel had met at age seven at their first-ever fighting class preparing them to become great warriors. During their many years of rough training together, the two girls had formed a true, unwavering friendship.

Muriel slowed to a stop. She sensed a presence ahead. Multiple presences.

The fact that she knew they were there, even though they were so far away told her that they weren't enemy warriors. Even a stupid Lette would know not to be crashing around like an animal when in Akeefa territory.

Cautiously, Muriel resumed walking, stepping quietly, listening.

Soon, the creatures came into view and Muriel smiled with relief when she realized what they were.

A girl with very tan skin, huge black wings, and long, shiny black feathers growing where her hair should've been; a raven ashy. Two petite young women, one with sunburnt cheeks and blonde hair, the other with freckles and wavy brown hair, and both of them with ginger-colored ears, long fluffy tails, and furry hands; red fox ashies. All three were chattering away happily to each other, and above them flew several more ashes: a bat and two with white wings that Muriel couldn't identify from below.

Muriel remembered a game she and Istelle used to greatly enjoy playing in which they selected a woodland creature or perhaps a random hiker whom they would follow from a distance. They would follow them as long as they could, the goal being to not get spotted by who or whatever they were shadowing. Playing that game had truly helped train their stalking skills and teamwork.

Muriel smiled slyly. She'd only do it for a little, Istelle could wait. And then she'd have another story to tell her friend...she couldn't resist. Six ashies on land and in the sky would make it a challenge, and Muriel loved challenges.

She positioned herself behind a bush in such a position that she could see the ashies, but they weren't able to see her, even as they passed right by.

She snatched a piece of conversation. "Hurry up, slowpokes!" Called a boy's voice from above. It was one of the white-winged ashies.

"Who're you calling slow, Zarnieth?" the freckled fox ashy called up to him. "Where are we even going?" Asked the other fox ashy. "Umm, I believe we're going to find that wizard those kids back earlier were telling us about. Zarnieth wants to have a go at him…" said the raven. "Nooooo" moaned the sunburnt fox, adjusting her ponytail. She called up to the ashies in the sky "Hey Zarnieth, come down here for a sec!"

By now the ashies had passed Muriel, and she moved to another hiding spot, this time behind a huge fallen log, peaking around the roots, to get closer to where they'd stopped to wait for 'Zarnieth' to come join them on the ground.

As he landed, Muriel saw that he was a pegasus ashy with large white wings, feathering (long hair on the ashy's legs) that covered his feet, and a mane that started as a mohawk on his head and continued down his neck only stopping at his back. He looked about twelve years old.

He was followed by a swan ashy around his age with puffy dark hair, skin almost as tan as the raven ashy's, large brown eyes, and of course, wings. "What happened?" she asked Zarnieth.

"I don't know," he shrugged, looking up to see the last of the ashies, the bat, swoop down to land in a tree, watching her friends from a large branch. She looked very tired, her long, dirty-blonde hair uncombed, sitting there on her branch, wrapping her wide, thin, bat wings around herself so that only her big bat ears stuck out.

"You gotta tell us where we're headed," said the sunburnt ashy. "Yes, I agree with Sophie," said the other fox ashy, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. The sunburnt ashy, 'Sophie' said "Raven said you wanted to go wipe someone's mind. We're not doing that again." The other fox ashy and 'Raven' nodded in agreement.

Zarnieth laughed, "Guys, he's a dangerous wizard. He poisoned someone. We have to bring him to justice! He can't harm anyone if he doesn't remember how to!"

Raven slapped her forehead, "but remember what happened last time you swiped someone's mind? If you think we're gonna let that happen again, think again."

"That was a very different situation. Come on!"

"We don't even know who he is! What does he look like? How are we supposed to find him? Come on, this is ridiculous Zarnieth," said the freckled fox ashy.

Zarnieth sighed, "the kids told us he's tall with light brown hair, young, carries a sack, and wears a cloak. Easy!"

"I side with Dayna," said Sophie, putting her arm around the other fox ashy, "If you wanna go, fine. But I'm not coming. "

"Okay. We'll be fine without you!"

"I stay with Sophie," said Raven. "And I as well," said Dayna. "Leave me here too, I'm tired," said the bat ashy.

The swan rolled her eyes. "Just me and you then, I guess," she said to Zarnieth. He took off into the air, calling behind him "come on Cygnus, let's go!"

"Let's go back to the cave," said Dayna, and she and her friends headed back in the other direction, resuming their chatter.

"You coming Alexa?" called Sophie, and the bat ashy Alexa left her branch and followed them.

Muriel sat for a moment, deciding who to follow, then turned and headed towards Istelle's home in another direction, deciding that she was done spying on this group.

After dinner, Istelle, Jude, Linaria, Liz (who had recovered and come out of the sky room to join her friends who were all ecstatic to see her), Arin, Alistair, and Evan had all come outside to sit along the side of the hill together to watch the sunset.

All was silent except for the sounds of the insects and the birds in the forest below. Liz was sitting in a squashed position between Istelle and Lina, Jude and Evan were both stretched out on the grass, Jude's eyes were closed but Evan's were wide open, staring up at the sky with the expression of an awed child. Arin was cuddling with Alistair.

"The sunset here...It's just like the one back home," said Istelle after a bit.

"Back home...I miss back home," said Lina sleepily.

"Speaking of which, Istelle, what is this place? Where are we? Why are we here? Who have you turned into, all red and curly? And when are we going back home?" Liz was suddenly bombarding Istelle with questions. "Okay, okay, slow down, Liz. I think I can answer your questions if you ask me one at a time."

"Fine. Where are we? Why are the colors here brighter or lighter than the ones back home, why is the moss softer, the trees taller, the rocks harder?"

"We've been transported into the far past by Amazara, the bird who travels between time. Here in the far past, the people and creatures live in a world of magic. Everything is different here."

"How come you know all this stuff? The cures to poisons, the ways through forests, the answers to questions?"

"I think...that's part of me turning into this body. I... don't understand it either…"

From the place where he lay, Evan spoke. "So you all lived in the future, until the Amazara brought you back here, with a mission I'm assuming, and when you arrived, Istelle's body and clothing changed, and seemed to know all about your surroundings, is that correct?"

"It is correct…" answered Lina, glancing over for confirmation at Istelle, who nodded.

The old man nodded, smiling. "Then of course, there is only one explanation: Istelle has a powerful spirit. A spirit that can live for more than one lifetime. Her current body is the one her spirit first lived in. Most likely, her body died and her spirit moved on to a new one, one in the far present. But when the Amazara brought the new Istelle back to the past, her past body was brought back up for her spirit to enter back into."

"Creepy," said Jude. "So what happened to her other body?"

"We can only guess…"

"So you accept that you are living in 'the far past?'"

"Well you see, I believe in the future. To the future, I am a part of the past. And you too are the past, from the eyes of the future."

"That makes sense."

Liz spoke up again "So why are we here?"

Istelle hesitated. "It was a last minute decision...I didn't want to miss my chance…"

"Tell us the whole story, from the start," said Lina.

Istelle sighed, "there really isn't' that much to it. I was just sitting there, outside...I remember wondering why there weren't more birds singing. There was just one, and it's song was weird, like, there were words. Then the bird flew down to me, and started rhyming these songs. It said I could end the war dad's in if I just grabbed it by the tail. Then you guys came and it was gonna fly away...I lunged without thinking. It's too late now."

Jude was shaking his head "that's completely ridiculous. Why Istelle? Just why?" but he was grinning. Arin started giggling, and Istelle laughed with her, because it really was completely ridiculous. Then she stopped laughing, as a thought struck her.

"Now that we're here though...we need to find Soren."