Why did this happen? I don't understand! Why have I been run out of my home?!? These thoughts are running through my mind as I hide behind a tree, hoping that my pursuers don't find me before I have a chance to catch my breath. Their scents are getting closer. I can hear their footsteps grow louder by the minute. I take a deep breath to gather my thoughts, trying to keep calm. I can't panic just yet. My name is Vera. I honestly don't know how I can hear and smell better than other people. Another weird thing I can do is I can understand what dogs are saying...actually, that goes for any canine. I don't know how but I've never questioned it. I've always been able to. Ok, now that I've gathered...

[Follow...the birds..] A voice suddenly breaks me out of my stupor. It sounds...exhausted. And really angry. I look around for the source and try to pick up its scent. Nothing. It must be upwind from me. [Don't bother...looking for me. You have...no time. They will lead..you to safety. A wolf pack...will be waiting for you...to keep you guarded until...someone they trust gets there. Now, GO!]

I jumped when the voice yelled in my head that last word. I look around for whatever birds it was talking about. I see them and the sight is confusing: all sorts of birds ranging from sparrows to hawks are sitting in the trees around me as if waiting for something. [GO! Quit standing there and...go NOW or I swear by your ansestors I'll give you to your pursuers!?! FOLLOW THE BIRDS!]

The voice seemed panicky now, almost like it really wouldn't give me up but I didn't want to test that theory. It was even angrier now so without a second thought, I followed the birds that are perched in trees. They didn't seem to be taking me in a straight line...which is pretty smart. It's almost as if someone trained them to do this. When I was far enough away from where I was, I glanced back at where I was.

Emerging from behind the tree where I was just hiding behind was a boy wearing tattered silk clothing. His shoulders were slumped and he was breathing heavily. I was about to run back to him when a hawk suddenly blocked my path and screeched in my face. I jump back a little before glaring at the bird.

"Move! I have to get him away too or those people might hurt him!" I pleaded with the bird. It let out another loud screech before it was joined by two other hawks to block me. They all screech in unison, forcing me to cover my ears because of how loud it was. My ears were ringing as I look at the hawks. They didn't seem to be moving and they looked like they were getting ready to attack me if I tried breaking through. "Okay, I'm going but if that boy gets hurt, I'm blaming you!" The hawks' eyes seemed to soften for a second before hardening again. I take one more look at the boy, who was now sitting on the ground, before turning back around and running again.

It wasn't until I was out of sight of that boy that the path of trees the birds were making started to straighten out. I stop to catch my breath and look back at the trees behind me and notice the birds were gone. Which means even if I wanted to go back to help, I couldn't thanks to the random turns the path took me. Deciding it was safe enough, I start walking at a brisk pace. I wasn't completely safe yet and the sun was a little past halfway in the sky.

-2 hours later-

My pace was slowed to a walk as I followed the birds. I stopped and leaned against a tree before looking at the path made by the birds.

"I've got to rest for a while." I said to the birds, hoping they would understand. It seemed to have worked as they all perched up in the trees around me. I breath a sigh of relief before I sat down at the base of the tree I was leaning against. "I don't suppose you'd know if we're almost to where you're taking me? Not that I would understand you anyway..." The last part I said to myself. I can't understand the language of birds but I can understand canines...which is another mystery about me that eludes me. One of a few that I've never been able to solve.

I looked up at the sky, my tiredness starting to get to me as my eyes start to fall. I've been on the run since I was woken up by my mother when the sun was just starting to come up so I was really tired. But I knew I had to keep going; I had to get away. One problem though: my body wouldn't move and my eyes were getting heavier by the minute. Before I knew it, my consciousness faded as I fell asleep where I sat.

*Anthony POV*

I'm currently walking in the direction the girl went. Her scents were confusing: grey wolf and human; mixed perfectly together as if it was a natural thing. There are a few things that are unnatural about that combination of scents but the most common are only three: lycanthropes, shapeshifters, and druids.

I've already ruled out the first: lycanthropy. It's usually caused by two things: a curse or some sort of virus; the virus is the most common. That's why humans have myths about a werewolf's bite turning someone who's been bitten by one. The virus is unique in that it will stay dormant until the rays of a full moon shine onto the victim, activating a very ancient-type of magic that uses the lunar cycle. Ancient magic is strange in that it is time specific; it has to be or it would backfire onto the caster. If one doesn't put the specific time into the formula, they would die depending on the strength of the spell...

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Ah...I've gotten off topic. Anyway, I couldn't see any bite marks or feel any sort of invasive energies coming off of her when I saw her. So she isn't a lycan. That leaves shapeshifter and druid...I'm leaning towards that latter: at least a human hybrid of one. The human scent is stronger than the grey wolf scent; not by much mind you but enough to be noticeable if you have a strong sense of smell.

As I was thinking this, I came upon a sight that confused me: the girl, sleeping at the base of a tree and surrounded on all sides by the birds that I had helping her escape. As I got closer, a sand hawk perched on my shoulder.

[Sorry, young dragon. She said she was tired and just sat down,] the hawk said. [We wanted to keep going but she couldn't understand us. She feels...like a predator to some of the others here.]

I blinked when it called me young dragon but I didn't interrupt. Birds tend to have one track minds and interrupting them can make them lose track of what they were wanting to tell you. 'Young dragon? How did...nevermind. It's not important. What is important is what they think she is and why she was chased from her village.'

"A predator? Well, she does have a grey wolf scent.. Tell me: does she feel similar to the humans that feel like they respect you or the ones who feel like they belong in the forest?"

The hawk was silent for a few minutes, with it's head tilting a few times before regaining it's composure. [She definitely belongs here. The other wolves may even take her in as a hatchling...or is it pup for them? Hmm, I'm just going to go with..]

"Alright, I get it," I say, wanting to stop the hawk from going in random directions. I still needed information. "If it comes to that, I'll ask the wolf packs to raise her for a few years. Hopefully it won't but it'll be nice to have a backup plan. But that's for later: where's Illiya?"

[Illiya? Who's that? The only other dragon that's been here was one whose human form had silver hair and green eyes. She was nice. Last I heard was from when parents told stories about her. She stayed in nesting places of the featherless ones a lot but then one day, she stopped coming to the forest and it became a lot more dangerous here after. Which reminds me: a lot of featherless hatchlings have been taken from their nests for a while. Not just human ones; the pointy eared humans, the really short humans, even some hatchlings of the human things that live in the lake.]

I listened to what the hawk was saying and a scenario started forming in my mind; it didn't make me feel good either. In fact: it confirmed my suspicion about her fate: Illiya is dead. Likely with a trap laid by hunters but what was the bait? Hmm, children coming up missing, a trap laid by hunters and springs it on Illiya..which means they did their homework on how to draw her into it. From what I know about her, if a young one from any race was targeted for something, she would have rushed headlo..

I stopped my thought process before widening my eyes in realization before I let out a growl from my throat. I heard the girl stir before I stopped growling and I looked at her. What connection does she have with the missing children?

"Tell me something: these missing children; was there a wolf involved?" I inquired to the hawk. I have a suspicion and I need confirmation. Something was going on and it wasn't looking good for the girl or the missing children. She wasn't involved with the kidnappings but now she is suspected of doing it. She's too young and she wouldn't be able to take any children heavier than an infant. But who would frame a young half druid? And why?

[Yep! It started before I was even an egg! Started with the humans then branched into the other humans that aren't humans]

I let out a sigh before I felt several presences around me. I close my eyes and concentrated on it. "Ah. The wolf packs are here. Four of them: two pairs of rival packs...this could be a problem.." I look at the hawk "The birds can go back to your regular lives now. The wolf packs are here. Turns out all four of them came."

The hake tilted it's head [Only four? Sure there's only four of them in this part but there are around twenty packs spread out all over the place. You presence was only felt in...] The hawk stopped talking to think

[In only four percent of the forest, Čuvar,] a deep voice suddenly interrupted. I turn to see a wolf approaching.

"Čuvar? Been a while since I've heard the language of the wolves. Anyway, I believe we need to get her somewhere safe. I felt a neutral area when I funneled my magic into the Guardian Circle at the edge. Is that where Illiya stayed when she stayed in the forest?"

[Yes. And about 30 kilometars around that area is neutral. No territorial disputes go into that area but it is a good place to raise the pups. There is a cave in the middle and seems to be the exact middle of the forest.]

I nod before going over to the girl. I'll get her name later. "I'm going to carry her. This pup has been through a lot and it's not even midday yet. She needs to rest. Besides, what she is being framed for is now my concern. More than human children have been taken from their homes and I don't like what that could mean."

I bent down and put my arms under her before lifting her and starting to walk in the direction of the neutral area. Many things were going through my head and I hope it wasn't what I was thinking. I don't think I can handle another one...