Be Sure to Wear a Disguise

P.O.V. : unknown

The shadows are closing in now. They are. If they can, they'll going to get they claws into her. They'll try to tear her apart.

I don't want her to die. She can't die. She's not alone, though.

Maybe she will be alright... Maybe the shadows won't win. Maybe... Maybe...



I yawn as the moon raises even higher. We didn't stop at night fall, not at the forest goes cool, not at the stars shine over head.

"There."

I look up at Caan and follow his line of sight to the most ominous, dark, freaky, scary, unwelcoming, and downright unpleasant looking cave entrance I could have possible imagined.

I want to protest. I want to say no. I want to turn and run, but if I did run, i'd be running right into the open jaws of the golden eyed army. So, I only whimper quietly, and Bandit dances under me, side stepping and hesitating to move forward. I look over and Lyris in already on the ground, standing beside the bone plated face of his hybrid, stroking its cheek.

I stop Bandit and swing my leg over his back and slide slowly to the ground. My legs are weak and i continue down till I'm sitting on the forest floor. Leaves crunch softly and I close my eyes, feeling a day's worth of exhaustion wash over me.

"Up ya go." I hear Caan, but it's groggy, like hearing something under water. Then I feel my body lifted up. My eyes try to open, but they don't, I'm just too tired. Then, I feel the temperature drop, and I know we're inside the cave. My mind is sinking fast into sleep. Then it's there.



There is a rustling that wakes me, and my eyes slip open. They are sticky from sleep. I sit up and rub my eyes with the heels of my hands. I look around and see the source of the noise. Lyris.

He's standing near the mouth of the cave, shirtless with his wings drooping towards the floor. The vines and spiderwebs block out much of the sunlight, but cast patterns of shadows and light over him, the rocks, his wings and it's so ghastly and vivid, that I almost thinking I'm dreaming.

Then the rustling sound echos through the cave again, and his wings quiver. It's the feather that are making the sound. They dove grey wings stretch out, blocking out almost all the sun and draping the cave in darkness. My breath washing over my throat and fill my lungs.

Lyris pulls his wings against his spine and looks over his shoulder at me. His eyes are lit from the side as the sun bounces off his face. We look at each other for a while, just staring, watching.

He looks away first, and walks over to were his pack is. He grabs what I assume is a shirt and walks back out of cave, making the vines swing back and forth. I look after him till the vines are still again.

I turn and look at Caan, who's still sleeping by my side. I smile softly. My Caan. He's a wolf. I should be scared, shouldn't I?Shouldn't I be furious? But... I'm not. How could I be? He's been my friend, been there for me, been nothing but amazing. But he's been lying to me. This whole time, he's hasn't told me anything until I almost forced it out of him. But is that everything?

My bottom lip slips between my teeth and I bit down on it a little. My nerves are starting to wear thin. I sigh heavily.

Caan's eyes open at the sound and he looks at me. Slowly, he smiles up at me. He's so sleepy and it makes me smile back. He sits up and looks around, running a hand through his hair.

"Where's Lee?" He asks. I point to the cave's opening, and Caan nods. "He better get back soon. We have to get going."

Lyris steps back into the cave, a shirt on and his wings tucked close to his spine. He looks at us, then at me, with his forest green eyes.

"Well? Are we going?" He asks, impatiently. I roll my eyes and stand, wobbling a little from yesterday's excitement of running for my life. it almost sounds like a game that way...

We eat a small breakfast and then pack up. I head towards the cave mouth to get Bandit, when Caan stops me.

"We are going ....that way," He says, pointing deeper into the cave. I stare at him in disbelieve.

Lyris heads off in that direction and Caan and I follow. It's dark, like the back of a cave should be. I'm about to ask if we can light a torch or lantern or something when, suddenly, the cave is illuminated. I stop and look around for what could cause it. I spin in circles till Lyris takes my hand and holds me still. He points out the cave's roof. It's covered with glowing moss.

"If we had lit something, the moss wouldn't have glowed. And if the moss doesn't glow, the path into Keep wouldn't open, " He explains.

I nod and follow, my hand in his. Caan walks beside me, and I notice how his eyes flash, moving from Lyris to our hands and then darting away and then darting back. We get to the back of the cave. There is a stone wall. I thought he said the path would be open...

Lyris lets go of my hand and touches the wall. I back up a step when I hear clicking and the sound of a large weight moving across stone. A cut out in the stone wall slides back and to the side, creating a door way. Caan takes my hand, and we walk through.

I look back at the door, and see that it is a delicately balanced lever and pulley system that opens the door. I smile, glad to know that not everything is magik. I look around again and can tell the difference. The stone is a different colour and texture. There is a deep ravine that leads down down down, and I notice that it's darker in this part of the cave.

It's lit by torches in the depth of the ravine. The town of Keep.

We walk forward to the edge and follow a path, single file, down steps and stairs and jagged cliff faces. I look around and there is the occasional upturned face, watching our arrival. I suppose if this staircase is the only way, it'd be impossible for an attack, so there isn't much excitement in newcomers.

There is the slight murmur and chatter from any small town as we finally reach the floor of the ravine. A small stream weaves past and we step over it, officially in the town of Keep.