Ella followed the girl into the den. "Listen, this may sound simple but it's gonna be hard to do it." Ella looked at her. "We have to defeat a beast, not many, but just one" "Sounds simple enough" The said. "Well no this beast, it's big with claws, it's like all your worst nightmares mixed together." Ella sighed. "It's impossible to beat, my..." Ella stopped, she didn't want to tell this girl about her sister. " Someone I knew died trying to fight it, that was months before the town turned into utter and bitter darkness." The girl looked up at Ella. "Ok so do you know anything else about this 'beast'?" "Well yes I do, it's a shadow,due to the endless darkness it will be hard to see." Ella couldn't stop thinking about what if she died, what if that girl and her wolf died? Ella didn't want to put people in danger, but she felt that if she had the right team the light would return and they would all live, but of course when it's over there all gonna go back to there normal lives. Passing each other on the streets with a simple wave of the hand. Or maybe not.

"well river can see fairly good in dark, it has different color eyes too right?" destiny asked. the girl didn't answer. "you okay?" destiny was staring at her. "huh? yeah im fine..." said Ella "well heres the wolves.. the alpha rex, the only pups posie and daisy and the mother flow, rex's and rex's mate tame." destiny said showing Ella the wolves. " you want one?" asked destiny. she didn't answer , she just walked over to the pups and started to pet daisy. "nevermind..." said destiny. destiny watched Ella laugh and play with the pups. she thought to herself -hmm... she looks trustworthy and plus it doesn't sound like she's lying...- "I guess your trustworthy... you havn't tried to run away or kill the wolves.. so you've gained trust.. but be careful of what you ask for" said destiny. "okay" said Ella petting posie . "well... isn't there something we have to do first like.. train ourselves or meet someone or can we just go?" asked destiny puzzled. "oh um yeah.. lest go we gotta go see someone first!" "river! come girl , were going somewhere!"

Nely'na's staff clattered from her hands as someone entered her tent.
"Nely'na, do you have a minute?" came the shaky voice of the elder.
She pushed herself up to face the older elf. "Of course, elder. What do you need?"
"A human came here earlier, claiming that she knew how to bring back the sun. Would you know anything of this?" she asked.
"Do you mean, did I organize it? No," she answered.
"...I see."
"But I did hear similar words...from my mother. Last night," Nely'na admitted.
"Then it furthers my belief that you should accompany this human," Danerys summarized.
"But..elder! The clan needs me here! Who will heal their wounds while I am gone?" she asked.
"We will manage. The clan knew how to bind woulds long before we had people that could heal them. Besides, I thought that you wished to help?" the elder added.
"I do, it is just..I am not the warrior my parents were. Even if I were, they got cut down by the beasts just the same as anyone else. I would only be in the way," Nely'na countered.
"I don't think so. Your magic could come in handy. You may be the one that they need for this quest, Nely'na. If I don't send you, this world may never see the sun again. Do not make me order you!" the elder pleaded of the younger elf.
"I understand...elder," she said, admitting defeat.
"Good. Pack up your belongings and say your good byes. The human returns tomorrow."

Destiny and Ella are walking back to camp. "well... I think the woman looked pleased.. right?" destiny asked Ella "yeah sure.. more like supprised." said Ella "yeah.." agreed Destiny. they arrived back at destiny's campsite. the two sat down out side and had something to eat. "first time I've eaten in days..." said Destiny. after they had eaten they both went back to the den and went to the pups. they petted and played with them until they were ready to go to bed. "let me set you up a tent.." said destiny heading to get some hay and blankets. she wne to the next tent over and set up the bed. "night." said destiny. "night." said Ella. they both fell asleep and this time, river went to stay with Ella.

When the girls woke up and started to head to the elf camp. "Hello elder." The elder she had spoken to yesterday pointed to a silver haired elf girl. "This is Nely'na, our healer." Nely'na walked up to Ella shaking her hand in a greeting. "Are you the girl who lives in the caravan?" She asked, Ella nodded. The girls walked down a faint dirt path back to Destiny's camp. Ella had a thought. Nely'na is a healer, so has she ever fought before, has Destiny? As they walked down the path Ella spoke. "Girls I need to show you something." Ella ran ahead of them as the girls followed her. They made it up to a small cave, with a old wooden door. Ella opened the door into a small training center, with dummies and weapons of all kinds. "Ready for training girls?"

"training? cool! I've never trained myself before." said destiny staring at all of the items in the cave. she walked up to look over the weapons. "I've always wanted to learn how to use a bow and arrow" destiny said staring at it. "well go ahead.. we have to be ready to fight." said Ella. "okay." said Nely'na and Destiny. the three ran and grabbed their chosen weapons and began to train. after about two days of training and napping, they thought they were ready to go. but were they? what would happen if they were not? death?

Nely'na finished freezing provisions as Ella approached behind her. "Are we ready to go?" she asked.
"We should be. Our supplies should last for a few weeks, at least. It could be more if we ration correctly. Where is Destiny?"
The girl appeared almost out of nowhere at the sound of her name. "Here," she said.
The three girls began walking in silence. Nely'na didn't like the idea of having to kill living things to meet their ends...but what choice did they have? She knew for a fact that this world was yearning for the sun. She was doing this for her clan.
Her clan...
Would they be alright without her? They have relied on her talents for ten years, at least. Would they even still be there when this mad quest was done? Would she?
Well, she had wanted to help, now she prayed that she hadn't asked for too much.
"Guide me and protect me and my companions, Mother. Keep us safe and deliver us to our kin again after this quest is done," she whispered.

Destiny asked Ella where they had to go to finish the quest. "to the forest." said Ella. "well... where in the forest?" asked Destiny. "um... im not exactly sure.." said Ella. "so what? were just going to wander the forest searching for a monster?" asked destiny looking a bit annoyed. "yup." said Ella. " well , you should know about where it is right?" ased Nely'na "uh.. I might know where it's close to..." said Ella looking a bit nervous. "what havn't you told us? asked Destiny "what? uhm... nothing you know everything abut the quest." said Ella still nervous. " c'mon tell us!" said Destiny. "tell you what? there's nothing to tell..." said Ella. "fine.. don't say." said Destiny. "wait.. wheres river?" asked Destiny turning around. "now that I think about it.. I havn't seen her since we crossed that old fallen oak tree." said destiny. the three girls began to search and call for river. after an hour Ella had approached Destiny, "Destiny, I don't think we'll find river we have to keep going." said Ella. "but- I... okay." said Destiny as she stood up and the girls started to walk on. the three came to a conclusion that river was dead, somehow.

As the girls walked on, they heard a faint howl in the distance. "RIVER!" Destiny yelled. "Wait" Ella listened, another howl from the same direction. Ella transformed into a dog form. "Your a shapeshifter?" Destiny asked. Ella only nodded this time, she sniffed at the ground trying to find a wolf scent. She followed the direction of the howl. She found a scent, it was River's scent. She ran as fast a she could. As soon as they neared the howl, they saw River tangled in vines. Ella morphed back into her real form. Destiny ran to River's side. Ella took out one of her katanas, "Wait, what are you doing?" asked the girls. Ella walked around River finding all the vines tied together at the back of River. Ella carefully cut them with her katana. Soon after River got out the girls all ran back to the cave. They got back to training. Ella went over to check there food supply. They were all good.
After River, Destiny, and Nely'na all fell asleep, Ella took a quick look outside of the cave. Shadows moved past swiftly without being seen. Ella sat on the grass closing her eyes she sat there listening to the nightly sounds, but one, one sound that stuck to her mind. "Give up, you'll never beat me" The voice mocked her. "We will defeat you" Ella got up and walked back in the cave, locking the door. She went to her spot and fell asleep.

waking up the next morning, destiny got up , seeing Ella and Nely'na still asleep. she walked over to river and hugged her tight. she tended to the deep cut on river's her and tail. after re-wrapping them and cleaning them around the edges, she went and woke up Nely'na and Ella. Ella had decided they had to train for the fourth and final day. so they did train. the next morning, they decided what to do with river. "she cant come, she cant walk." said Destiny, looking at river. "but we might need her." said Ella. "can you heal her, Nely'na?" asked Destiny. "I've never tried it on animals and i'm not sure it would be safe because im not quite sure how to do deep cuts on animals..." said Nely'na "oh.. okay." said Destiny. "well, we can leave her here." said Ella. they grabbed weapons and Destiny hugged river as they walked off to the forest, following what Ella smelled.

Ella sniffed, finding no scent. Ella transformed back to human. "What is it?" Nely'na asked. "Yeah did you find something?!" Destiny asked. "No, but I know how to find it" The girls watched as Ella sat down on the grass. "What are you d-" "shhh" Ella stopped Destiny from speaking. The girls watched. Ella's eyes flashed open she in east, the girls followed her. The stopped in front of a dark clearing. Signs warned the girls. 'BEWARE OF THE THIEF!!' "The thief?" Ella asked. "They must have called the beast the thief when it stole the sunlight" Nely'na answered. The ground shook, it felt like an earthquake, but it wasn't. "Ahh you've come" A deep low voice roared. "COME OUT!" Destiny screamed. Out of the shadows, a decayed body of a girl with curly red hair. Ella looked at the body. "Scarlet" Ella cried. Tears filled her eyes but she washed them away. She pulled out her katanas running up the beast. She jump up high, ready to slice this beasts head off. Quickly a hand flew and smacked her flat on the ground. Ella got up off the floor. Ella stared at the girls, the beasts hand was slowing coming down, the beast was coming closer. "Ella watch out!" The girls cried out. Ella rolled onto her feet running back into a tree near by. The girls got there weapons out, ready for battle.

"whos scarlet!?" screamed Destiny. Ella didn't answer. the girls looked up at the girl who Ella had claimed as scarlet. Destiny had a plan. "Nely'na, get behind her, without her noticing." said Destiny. "Ella, do what ever you can to keep her off of me!" said destiny. as soon as she finished the sentence she ran up the path a tiny bit and began to howl. after about 3 minutes they heard a howl in return. "yes! they heard me!" said Destiny, "girls keep going they'll be here soon." Yelled Destiny. Destiny thought she Heard Ella say something. she saw the wolves running up the path. "YES , YES!" screamed Destiny. she began to ,make barking sounds and pointed. the wolves ran out to the girl and Destiny ran up to the front of her. Ella and Nely'na backed off as Destiny and her wolves ran in. the wolves mainly bit and scratched her. Destiny began hitting her with her staff. at one point a hand came at her. but she didn't notice it. it flung her off into a tree and she was unconscious. Nely'na ran to Destiny to help her as Ella turned to a wolf and helped the wolf team.

"Wake up! Oh, by the moon! Wake, up, Destiny!" Nely'na begged.
The beast seemed to notice Nely'na and Destiny's unconcious form. It started coming after them.
"Te'ayna!" she screamed in her native tongue. She called on her magic. Her spells wouldn't be able to to charge for long, but they needed to get out of here.
Her spell stunned the monster. This gave her the time to charge up a more powerful spell.
Goosebumps formed on her skin before she exhaled and release a bitter cold, freezing the beast solid.
"Ella! We must leave this place!" Nely'na cried, gathering Destiny in her arms.
"I know!"
The two ran as far as their legs could carry them. When 'day' broke, it was all Nely'na could do not to fall over in exhaustion. They set up camp.
"She hasn't waken up yet," Ella remarked.
"I know," Nely'na said sleepily, laying down Destiny on the cool grass.
"Can you wake her up? With your magic?"
"No. Too...tired...can't..."
"Ne--Nely'na?"
The world fell away as Nely'na succumbed to her exhaustion.

the next morning Destiny was still unconscious. "do you think she's okay?" asked Ella. "if she was would she still be asleep?" asked Nely'na. "good point." said Ella. they hear a small yelp. "arr." it sounded. two small wolves were running up the path. "we forgot about the wolves!" said Nely'na. "SHE DIDN'T CALL THEM OFF YET!." screamed both of them. Ella told Nely'na to stay with Destiny and the two small puppies. 10 Minutes later Ella walked back up the path with something in her arms. Nely'na ran up to Ella. Nely'na saw it was another little pup. "what happened?" asked Nely'na. "well... it was laying on the path.. I don't know who's it's mother is.. but it doesn't matter all of them a dead... exept river." said Ella. they took the pups and cleaned them up in the nearby river. as soon as they took them back, the pups needed food. "Ella...can you?" asked Nely'na. "now?" asked Ella. Nely'na nodded. "oh.. fine!" said Ella. later that day.. they layed the pups on a little blanket and put water near it. they went to bed still tired from the day before.

When Ella woke up she heard a loud roar that reached a mile out. Ella walked outside. Flames burned in the darkened sky. "Nely'na! wake up there's a fire!!" Nely'na woke up, they ran to the scene of the fire, the blaze was the brightest thing they had ever seen since the sun disappeared. It was a girls home, they didn't know who. Buckets of water and running villagers flocked the streets. Nely'na used her magic to help stop the flames, it had only taken an hour or so before the flames stopped. Inside was the body of a burned little girl. "Dear got what could have done this?!" Ella asked. "Something unnatural" Nely'na told her. It was then a giant shadow cast over the town. Screams of terror filled the night sky, everyone ran into there homes, everyone but Nely'na and Ella. "Lets get out of here?" "Yup" The girls ran back to the cave to hide from the beast, what if it already got Destiny, they left her and the wolves there. They finally got there, but the shadow already caught up to them.

they had saw that Destiny and the wolves were fine but the shadow wasn't gone yet. a tree fell down on the place that the wolves and Destiny were in and they heard a shrill scream. "thats Destiny!" yelled Ella. they ran to the cave. they saw Destiny grabbing the small wolves and after she grabbed the last one they ran. More and more trees fell behind them. they ran into Destiny's campsite, they hid in the old wolf den. Destiny stuck her head out of a crack in the wall to see if it was following them still. she saw the outlined figure of a known person. "C-Cater?" she said. as soon as she said that the shadow turned to the den. then they saw it shrink into a little girl. "Cater!" Destiny ran out to her grabbed her and ran back. she saw Cater's leg was healed but.. why did she set fire to the home... and why did she turn to a huge shadow?

"Destiny! It's a trick!" Nely'na called.
"What are you talking about?!" Destiny screamed.
"Come on, we have to go!" Ella said.
She didn't seem to understand. Nely'na ran over to their terrified companion and pulled her up. "We have to go! This place is no longer safe!" she explained.
The three ran as fast as they could, the wolves following closely behind.
"Your people know these woods best! Where are we going?" Ella called.
Nely'na considered this for a moment. "To the west. There are more beasts towards the east. The west is usually calmer," she called.

as they ran all Destiny thought is that they left Cater... how could Nely'na say that Cater was a trap? Destiny was furious, although she tried not to show it. they came upon another cave. they set up camp there because they knew Cater wasn't following them. when Ella and Nely'na were asleep, Destiny ran back to see if Cater was still there, and she was. she saw Cater was .. sleeping? she awoke Cater, only to see, that wasn't Cater. Destiny screamed as loud as she could. she started to run, but it was faster. Nely'na awoke to hear Destiny's scream. "she didn't listen to me!" she said madly as she woke up Ella. the two ran to Destiny's old camp. As they came up on it, they couldn't see Destiny anywhere. What happened to her?

Nely'na sunk to the ground, looking for footprints, or signs of a battle, but...nothing.
She slowly pushed herself back up. "Please...speak, friend wind. Where is she?" she whispered.
She knew Ella was looking at her strangely. She didn't care. The wind answered her. To the east, it breathed.
She flashed back.
...
She didn't know why the wind was leading her here, but she knew the old tales. The wind could be trusted.
Nely'na stepped quietly, making sure not to wake the sleeping clan. She was hoping that nobody would follow her.
She followed the wind's gentle urgings until it led her to a small clearing. Everything was dead, and the air felt heavy with discontent. She wanted desperately to heal this place, but somehow...she knew that that was not why she was here.
...
"i know where Destiny is!" Nely'na cried.
"Where?" Ella asked, almost begging.
"The beginning of our sorrow."

Destiny woke up to be lying on a wood board, tied to it. -just great- she thought. she looked around to see anyone, or anything. nothing. "hmmm..." she sounded. she tried to reach the knot but she couldn't. now she really wished she would've grabbed something before she left. -well.... it beats death.. sort of. - she thought. she wished she could see a sign of anyone... a rescue, possibly? -could be worse...- she thought as she tried to fumble with the knot more. she gave up after 30 minutes of messing with the knot. Nely'na or Ella will come, right? or will they forget about her? what about the wolf pups, and what about river? she wished they were all okay, and that she would be too.

"So how long will this take?" Ella asked behind Nely'na, panting slightly.
"We are almost there," Nely'na responded.
"Will Destiny be alright until we get there?"
"What choice do we have?"

Destiny decided to try and roll off. "meeeh, almost there, meeeeeeh."she couldn't roll off. "is anyone even coming" she said she started to hear footsteps. "no no no no no no!" bback in the dark, again.

The single word echoed around the eerily still forest.
"Destiny!" The two girls said simultaneously.
They ran as fast as they could, only to see the giant shadow leaning over their unconscious companion.
Nely'na acted without thought and launched herself at the shadow. Have to stop it...this quest has only just begun! She thought.
She grasped the thing as best as she could and began taking its life essence. She hated this spell, but there was no time for that.
The only thing that was strange was that she was getting weaker with the spell, not stronger. It dawned on her just before she passed out.
Any spell used on this shade will backfire and affect you, instead.
She sunk to the cold, dead ground, blood trickling from her nose.

Destiny was awake during it, all but had a bag on. "Nely'na? Ella?" she screamed back at them. then she heard silence. after a minute or two, she heard a hard thump. "GUYS? ARE YOU THERE?" she screamed still not able to see. Ella was trying to get Nely'na up because the shade had vanished. Ella got Nely'na up and they got Destiny. "why didn't you listen to me?" asked Nely'na. Destiny mumbled a bit but didn't really give an answer. they went back to the camp and went to care for the pups and take a nap.

"Destiny, are you alright?" Nely'na asked as they walked back. Her fatigue was obvious.
"I'm fine...you guys got here before anything really bad could happen," Destiny replied.
"At this point, I'm more worried about you. What did that shade do to you?" Ella asked.
Nely'na just shook her head. "It was nothing, I am fine," she lied.
"No you're not! You blakced out! You had a nosebleed! That doesn't indicate 'fine' to me!" Ella persisted.
The truth was...Nely'na didn't remember much of the fight. What HAD happened back there?
But now they were near their campsite. "Maybe in the morning, I could tell you. Tonight, though, I'm going to sleep," she responded.
...
All around her was a complete, impenetrable darkness. Nely'na felt pain in her abdomen, but when she removed her hand, there was no blood. What was going on?
Something moved out of the corner of her eye. The shade.
You cannot defeat us. Stand down, and we may spare your tribe, it said, sounding more like it was coming from inside her head.
She couldn't speak, which terrified her. Images of charred and decapitated bodies surrounded her. She could feel the heat from a flame, but she couldn't see it. No...
...
"NOOOOO!"