Diana tried to forget her parents.  Years ago she left home with a shattered heart broken from their neglect.  She was sixteen then, and found herself wandering through small towns in New Mexico where many streets were barren, but fortunately a beautiful girl could convince merchants to spare a buck or two for food.  She pleased each vendor with a smile knowing they gave her more attention than her family she left behind; save for her grandparents and an uncle she rarely saw.

 She remembered her grandfather especially as he always tried to give her faith and motivation.  “Never forget you are strong.”  He would tell her on the rare occasions she saw him.  “I don’t approve of how your parents treat you but you will learn to stand on your own quickly, and always listen to your dreams.”  Those words echoed in her mind as she knew he always believed in dreams.  She felt Native American cultures had a strong link with the subconscious mind so she always tried to remember every vision she had at night.  Some were normal, but some showed images of Indian tribes and hides that were of various colors.  Yet that didn’t affect her as much as her dreams of a pleasant home with a family.

As time went on she managed to survive until that dream came true.  Her wandering led her to find a man who owned a small store thirty miles outside of Albuquerque.  He watched her and said her beauty reminded him of his own daughter years ago.  She had the same hair and same green eyes, but his daughter was not nearly as tall as she.  Diana smiled and said she could use a good meal.  After a bowl of soup and a small conversation, he said she could stay on the second floor where there was an extra room.

 After a few months she stopped calling him, “Mr. James,” and called him Father.  He loved hearing that everyday and the both of them greatly enhanced each other’s life.  She found a warm place to sleep, and he found the daughter he thought he lost.  Since things were better, there was no reason to remember her parents.  They certainly forgot about her for she had been gone for years.  Yet every once in a while he would inquire about where she came from.  She would just smile and say she remembered her grandfather was native American and her grandmother was Swedish.  That accounted for her high cheekbones and fair skin and hair.  She told him of the times they visited when she was young and when they hugged her and asked how she was feeling.  As time went on, her parents never showed such concern.

 So no need to bring up the past as they were both happy in the present.  It was summer and the store was doing fairly well despite the incessant heat that roamed the area.  A few customers came in to buy food, drinks, and bags of ice, but left before late that evening when no one seemed to enter for a few hours.  The store was small with large, clear windows that showed the countryside with a long, dirt road and a few buildings in the distance.  The area was not as heavily populated as it was, but they both managed to find enough customers to keep things going.

 “Another hot summer day.”  Her father smiled as he approached her.  “If it wasn’t for the ice company making deliveries out here, we’d be out of business.”

 Diana laughed and walked around the counter that separated them.  “Yeah, well at least we have that going for us eh?”

 “Sure do honey.”  He said and moved to hug her gently.  She sighed happily for a brief moment then pulled back, “Well another day another dollar.”  She stated.

 “Yes it is that, so have you been thinking about your future?”

 Diane rolled her eyes and looked back at James, “No, not yet.  I’m happy here, at least for now, you know that.”

 “Yeah I know honey.”  He smiled, “But I don’t want you to miss out on anything life has to offer.”

 “Hey, as long as life offers me a family I’m happy.”

 James shrugged, “Well, I’m your family.”  He spoke with a tinge of doubt, “But I’m just me.”

 She giggled, “Oh Father, you know we’ve been through all this before.  You’re all the family I need.”

 He smiled and took a step closer to her, “You know the lord blessed me when I found you, I just hate being alone.”

 “Me too.”  She smiled and gently put her hand on his shoulder, “You go to sleep, I’ll sweep up and lock the door.”

 He nodded in agreement and turned to head toward the back room when the door slowly opened and closed.  They both turned around and saw two tall figures dressed in dark jeans and long, gray shirts.  Diana raised an eyebrow at their apparel, knowing that this time of the year was not good for such dark clothes but James shrugged the thought aside and said, “Can I help you gentlemen?  We’re about to close.”

 At the same time, their faces looked up at Diana.  Expressions solemn, their lips twitched for a moment as they stared at her.  She knew she had never seen them before and took them to be middle-aged with stubble on their chins and a few wrinkles around their dark eyes.  She looked from them to her father and then to them again, obviously becoming nervous under their gaze.

 “I said we’re about to close.”  James spoke as if he tried to insist they leave.  Neither man was phased by his words and at the same time they both said to Diana, “We’ve come for you.”

 “Now wait a minute.”  He said taking a step closer.  Upon sensing his movements, one of them drew a small gun from a pocket in his jeans.  With no emotion, he shot Diana’s father and then turned back to her to say again, “We’ve come for you.”

 Diana screamed upon hearing the shot and fell to the ground in shock.  “No.”  she yelled as she saw blood empting from her father’s chest.  It was a mortal wound but James still tried to move despite the attack.  He gasped for a few minutes longer and Diana began to fall into a screaming fit.  “This isn’t happening!”  she yelled and attempted to pick herself up.  The men in front of her continued to show no remorse and in a frenzy of anger, she ran to the men and balled her fists.  Screaming in rage, she tried to hit one with all her might.

 The man flinched a bit but wasn’t much affected by her assault.  In response, he moved his hand to punch her in her face.  His dexterity was amazing and with little effort he struck her hard.  She fell to the ground with a loud thud and again screamed.

 “She’s got spirit.”  Her attacker told his companion, “She must be dealt with quickly.”

 The other man merely nodded to the comment and both moved to grab her.  She saw this and quickly tried to pull herself up and away, but couldn’t leave them in enough time to get away.  As one of them grabbed her, she squirmed in his arms and even attempted biting him to get away.  She had always been a tall and strong woman, but now her strength was nothing compared to her abductors.

 She still attempted to fight back but each bite or hit was either ignored or countered with a punch from one of them.  Much to her dismay, she was easily thrown over the shoulder of the one who killed her father and finally pushed into the front seat of a truck in the middle of them both.  She was physically worn out but still attempted to scream.  After the door shut behind them, they proceeded to punch her in the face again, until she remained quiet.

 The truck started and they began to move down the dirt road.  She shook her head in disbelief as the sun began to set in the horizon.  Neither man spoke as the truck traveled on and she began to closer her eyes in an attempt to deny the reality.

 The suddenly a loud, shattering sound was heard and the window on the driver’s left side broke open.   Already Diana’s eyes were beginning to swell but she could make out the figure who attacked one of the men.  Its face was that of a human, save for large, yellow eyes that almost seemed feral in appearance.  Cheekbones a bit wide, she could tell it was probably a man but stared as it made a growling sound.  Long fangs sprang from the front of his wide mouth and behind him, long, dirty blond hair flapped in the air.  She couldn’t believe what was going on.  How could someone manage to break the window of the car when it never stopped?!  Her question was not answered but it was evident this creature was intensely strong.  In seconds he extended his hands and with razor sharp claws, sliced into the driver’s chest delivering a mortal wound.  Even though the driver was responsible for killing her father, she shrieked in terror seeing the blood spill from his chest.

 The man beside her watched the attack with a terrified glance.  Already the car began to slow as the driver couldn’t accelerate anymore.  To avoid facing the creature,  the other one decided to take his chance outside.  His door quickly opened and he sprang out from the vehicle quickly, not doing anything to look back.

 She screamed again from the series of events and began to move away from the creature.  Though she was relieved her attackers were gone, she was fearful of the one who assaulted them.  The truck continued to slow and she found her dexterity weak while she attempted to edge away from him.  His expression once full of rage, it began to calm as he spoke from his mouth of fangs, “Do you dream of a hide?”
 
 

Diana screamed after she heard the creature speak.   His form was still a bit feral in appearance, but that didn't frighten her nearly as much as the situation.  She jumped back but was not quick enough as he pushed back her down against the seat with a clawed hand, "I won't hurt you."  he hissed.  Though the truck was slowing down she decided not to risk jumping out and took the man's words at face value.  Closing her eyes she looked away as he jumped into the driver's seat and finally stopped the car.  "Damn machines."  he said in a gruffy voice as he slid the gear into park and looked back at Diana.

She blinked a bit as she felt herself stop and sighed, "What..are you?"

He continued to look at her as his facial features began to shift.  Skin convulsing, it turned to a darker color and his fangs disappeared back into his mouth.  She gasped in anxiety upon seeing this but marveled at his new features.  He was a handsome man, with deep brown eyes and dark blond hair.  His skin was smooth and held a rather charming smile.  The tone of his voice seemed to comfort her more as he said, "My name is Irkar, and we have a lot to speak about."

"But..how did you?  What did you?"  she said still in shock of the transformation.

"It's a lot to explain and for now I must be brief."  he said as he gestured for her to step out of the vehicle.  His hand, once holding claws, was now quite normal and used to prod her outside, "We don't have much time."
he said, "Those men that came to kidnap you will bring others, but you do deserve an explanation."

She quickly stepped out and wrapped her arms around herself.  Already the sky was quite dark and she feared being alone at night.  She tried not to think of her father's death but couldn't and bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming.  Releasing it slowly she muttered, "I..I can't believe this is happening."

"You haven't seen anything yet."  he said stepping out behind her, "I, as you could of guessed, am a shifter of sorts.  I'm sure in stories and horror movies you've heard of werewolves and the like?"

"Of course."  she said remembering various movies, "But that means what?"

"Think."  he said coming closer, "What did I just do?"

She paused for a moment and her eyes grew wide, "Wait a minute, you're..you're a werewolf?"

"Well, that's probably the easiest way to explain it at this point.  I'm a shifter who can change forms, one of them being into a wolf, and I inherited this ability from my bloodline."

"Ok."  she said confused, "And that means what to me?"

"It means you are too, you just don't know it yet."

Diana rolled her eyes and said, "Uh, no way.  I don't run out when there's a full moon or fear silver."

He listened to her as she reached into his pockets and pulled out some rocks, "Neither do we."

"Ok, but you said you were a werewolf."

He took a step closer and began to put a rock on the ground a few feet in front of her.  She was unable to determine where he got the rock from, but she could only assume it was in a pocket of the jeans he was wearing.  "There is still a lot that I have to explain."  he sighed and moved to put another rock down to her right.

"Uh yeah you do."  she watched him, "But explain this, what are you doing?"

"Teleportation ritual."  he said, "We don't have much time so I hope I remembered that incantation correctly, I'm not very good at the old magic."

"Old magic?  Teleportation?  What are you going to do?"

He put another rock to her left and another behind her, "Hopefully save your neck."  he slowly approached and then asked, "By the way you never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Do you dream of a hide?"

She sighed a moment.  She was already under enough stress from seeing her father died, she didn't want to remember anything else. Yet she did recall some of her visions and replied, "I have many..strange vivid dreams, and yes I have dreamed of a hide on occasion, it's a deep red color and seems to be in an Indian village or something."

He smiled, "I knew it, I didn't make a mistake this time, a dream told me you would be here on this night and that you might be in danger."

"Ok dude."  Diana said warily, "We've really got to talk to a shrink about these dreams."

Irkar couldn't help but stifle a chuckle and replied, "Without dreams we loose valuable insight that has kept our kind alive for years."

"This isn't making any sense."  she said.

"Well it's not supposed to, at least not now, but you're getting ready to meet the elder and he'll explain things better.  Even then we may not have that much time, you are not yet awakened to your true self, and when that happens we can try to find a safer haven."

She sighed as he continued to speak of things that were vague to her.  He sensed her anxiety and quickly stood up, "You will be fine and your questions will be answered, you just need to have patience."

"Ok, I'll try to be patient."  she sighed.  He looked back as she briefly affirmed his doubt and said, "Ok, just stand still and we'll be out of here soon.  Whatever you do don't move, you will see the scenery around you change but don't be alarmed."

"Ok, don't be alarmed he says."  she muttered, "My father is now dead, I get kidnapped by strange men and rescued by someone who goes through phases, but oh no, don't be alarmed."

He didn't pay much attention to her comments as he knew time was short.  Closing his eyes he began to chant some words that were completely unfamiliar to Diana.  She quirked a brow as he continued chanting and slowly, but surely, the area around her changed.
 
 

The area continued to change until they arrived in a clearing.  Already the moon shined from above providing area enough light to make out the trees in the distance and four other figures not too far from them.  Diana focused to study their features.  One of them was of medium height with long, straight black hair containing two small braids on each side. Within the strands were gray streaks and she winced to focus on his face.  His features held high cheekbones and tan colored skin slightly creased with wrinkles as a sign of age.  Diana began to approach him but he held a hand up as she walked closer, "No time."  his voice was deep and commanding, "We must start the ritual now."

Irkar leaned in to whisper to Diana, "He's our elder, and he's right we don't have much time."

She turned from the older man to look at her companion, "Elder?  What are you talking about?"

He slowly walked away and gestured to the others there.  There was a woman, standing tall and wrapped in a brown colored cloak.  Her hair was brown and her skin lighter than the elder's but the features were still the same.  She nodded to Diana, "Yes..I think she's the one..her traits are recessive, as I'm not surprised."

"And like Nirpiko said, there's no time." came a new voice.  This one belonged to a man of medium height and short, brown hair.  His eyes were also brown and he moved quickly as he stared at the ground.  "Hirlot."  he introduced himself quickly.  Diana tried to get a better look at him as he made himself known, all she could tell was that he had fair skin and seemed to be focusing on the ground a lot.

Irkar slowly walked away from her and gestured to the others.  "Ok, quick introduction."  he said and gestured to another man.  This one was a bit taller than Hirlot and has more pronounced native american features.  His hair was like the elder's but a bit darker.  As if on cue he said, "Rikono."

Diana smiled at him and watched Irkar gesture toward the woman, "And that is Leenar."  he said and paused, looking up at the sky, "And where is?"

"Girana is watching the skies."  the elder replied, "She will hear us and join us when it's time to dance."

"And the time is now." Hirlot muttered, "Irkar you know it's time to stand away."

Irkar nodded and walked farther away from Diana.  He called out to her, "The ritual will awaken your powers..our bloodlined is thined so your abilities are latent.  Be brave...be strong...and call out your true name when you hear it."

Diana's eyes grew wide as she heard this.  "Strong?!"  she yelled to him, "True name?  What the hell are you talking about?"

Right after her confused words a large circle of flames surrounded her body.  She screamed in fear as her eyes opened wide but for some strange reason, the warmth of the flames only seemed to warm her skin, even though they were only a foot away.  "What's...what's happening?"  she asked.  Then she heard a loud chanting sound and paused to listen.  Its harmony rose and fell and as if on cue, a surge of adrenaline rushed throughout her body.  "So beautiful."  she muttered to herself at the perfect harmony of the incantation and closed her eyes so she could concentrate on the sound more.  She couldn't explain what attracted her to the chants, more or less exactly where they were coming from, but she hinged on every rhythm she heard and when she opened her eyes, she saw a fantastic vision.

A large wolf padded its way through the flames, as if it was completely untouched by them.  Its furry coat was of a brown color with a reddish tint.  Under the flames the hue shinned brightly for a moment which seemed to attract Diana closer to the animal.  She looked deeply into its eyes and with no warning heard the words, "Shift."

She didn't understand the meaning of the words but watched the wolf change into a new form.  Its bones twisting and coat stretching, she gasped as it turned into a humanoid form with gray skin and pointed ears.  As she continued to watch it change, she could tell the form was human as it had a slender waist and plump breasts on its torso.  Along her waist was a red hide that slightly covered the lower half of her body.  Her eyes glimmered in recognition, "I"ve...dreamt of that hide before."

The figure nodded and said, "Vulnerable form."  she began to get an idea of what the woman was trying to say, but before she could ask she transformed again.  This time she stood tall, dressed in clothes much like the ones Diana was already wearing.  Her feminine features were still evident but her fingers held long claws and her mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs.  Diana's eyes opened wide as she hissed, "Warrior form."

Her lips wrinkled as she hissed and Diana was tempted to take a step back.  Yet she did not move but continued to watch the figure.  After a few moments she slowly began to shift into a form that looked exactly like Diana.  Her eyes opened wide again as she muttered, "Me?"
 

Her doppelganger smiled and nodded, "Your powers have been awakened, you are an empath of the wolf clan."

"Wolf clan?"

"Years before the white man walked the land of the Americas, various Indian tribes aligned themselves with animals to shift and gain powers.  Not every tribe member was chosen for this, but the few that were formed a new species of shifters.  The shifters had various powers and by chosing mates of their own kind, were able to continue their bloodlines."

Diana listened intently, hinging on every word as she continued, "But as time went on, the bloodline was thinned and as the battle against the earth drinkers continued, a ritual was needed to call forth our people..and our abilities."

"Earth drinkers?"

"The people who tried to kill you tonight.  They are spirits you see and possess bodied whenever they see fit.  Plagues, famine and other things that destroy..those are all part of the earth drinkers' doing."

"But they're spirits?"

"Powerful ones."  her twin replied, "And you will learn more of this..but for now know this, you are an empath and can sense danger...and from now know yourself as Tirkana."

"Tirkana?"  she inquired, making sure she said the name right.

"Tirkana."  she said, "Now scream it!"

"Tirkana!"  she yelled at the top of her lungs. In less than a second the flames and her other self disappeared leaving her to see the others standing tall and watching her.  The elder slowly approached and smiled, "She knows now."

And indeed she did.  In that moment a mass of emotions entered her mind.  She felt curiousity and excitement as she moved from face to face.  Each one seemed a bit different and provided some evidence that her empathy was working.  She then winced as an intense feeling of dread filled her senses.  Blinking for a few moments, she looked up at the others and said, "The earth drinkers are coming."

"Shift."  Nirpiko said as he slowly kneeled on the ground, "Assume warrior form now."

No one questioned what Tirkana or the elder said, and in less than a few seconds each one of them howled as their teeth stretched to become fangs and their fingernails extended to form long, sharp claws.  Tirkana could only shiver in fear and looked around for the enemy to approach.  Only she and Nirpiko remained in their human form.

Dark shadows came closer to them and a few of the warriors growled as they came closer into view.  Nirpiko was the only one who remained completely calm as he started to mutter a series of words unfamiliar to everyone but him.  Tirkana looked away as the dread she felt grew more intense.  Shivering more, she wrapped her arms around herself but took a deep breath as Irkar gave her a glance.

"I will protect you."  he said as he looked at her.  For that moment she relaxed a little as he stepped closer to her.  Even though his voice was deeper and took on a menacing tone, she found security in his words as she watched the scene wide eyed.

A chilling breeze began to blow over everyone which made the hair on their skin rise.    Hirlot eyed the ground for a moment, knowing if worse came to worse he could camoflauge himself and perhaps a few of the others.  At the same time Rikono and Irkar stood tall and growled louder as the earth drinkers were come close.  While Rikono could not fight near as fast as Irkar, both were ready to defend themselves and the others at all cost.

Then out of nowhere, a voice suddenly screamed in everyone's mind, "They're here!"  It was Girana, and while everyone knew the flyer could also communicate telepathically, Tirkana did not.  The dreaded feeling she felt now obsessed her senses and she screamed loudly upon hearing the voice.  Now just a few feet away from Leenar, Irkar shouted, "Watch her healer!  Do not let any harm come to her!"

Leenar did as told and stood near Tirkana, "Calm yourself."  she said, "We cannot afford to loose you or any of us now."

But Tirkana could not focus on Leenar's words for long.  Sure enough the shadows flooded the area until they took on humanoid shapes.  No eyes, mouths or voices could be told from the figures, but they quickly advanced and began attacking the team.

It was hard to tell how many there were or how fast things were happining.  Irkar and Rikono began to wildly slash at them with their claws.  While they were able to knock down a few of the figures, more advanced.  Seeing this from above, Girana floated down from the skies to aid the fight.  She managed to hold back a few, but many more were advancing.

Tirkana did not know how to control her shifting, but without warning she began to feel her teeth elongate and her nails grow.  Looking at her fingers wide eyed, she kept her focus away from the group while the change occured.  Her fear seemed to be the instinctive reason for her to shift, but that fear grew into terror as more of the dark figures approached her and Leenar.  In seconds Leenar was knocked out of the way, leaving Tirakana vulnerable to the earth drinkers.

But Nirpiko was still chanting........

Seeing her enemy close at hand, Tirkana screamed once again.  Then she heard a louder voice yell, "STOP!"  and the earth drinkers disappeared.

They all stood alone, in the clearing with no enemy in sight.  Then Nirpiko spoke telepathically to them, "The rite is complete.  For this brief moment I can speak into your minds.  The earth drinkers cannot see us, and as long as we remain still, they may go away.  While they cannot see us, we also cannot see them, but we can hear them and feel them as they move by.  So be silent and be brave, they may be able to sense our fear."

Tirkana trembled even more upon hearing this.  Her eyes open wide, they began to glisten as her anxiety was too much to bear.  How could the earth drinks not sense her fear?  Just inches away from them, she knew she had to be sensed, but she didn't know what to do.

Then Nirpiko spoke into her mind, "You have the gift of empathy, and you can sense danger.  Try to move where you do not sense them, perhaps you can even guide us away."

Tirkana closed her eyes as her tears were too much to hold back.  Flowing down her cheeks, she shook her head to say no and tried to take a deep breath.

"Concentrate."  Nirpiko again said telepathically, "You have the gift."

"I...." she started to mutter but realized it was best not to say anything.  She then took another deep breath, and focused on what her feelings told her.  She knew she must move quickly, for her fear was too intense and knowing the enemy could sense that, she started to move back.

A few feet from where she was, the dread inside her seemed to lessen.  She then closed her eyes and began to focus.  To her far right she knew there was much evil, and in patches around Rikono, Girana and Irkar, the same evil was there, but in smaller amounts.  Yet behind her, her danger sense led her to feel there was a clear path out of harm.

'No fear.' she told herself as the evil that was directly in front of her started to advanced.  While she didn't see them, she could sense them and knew they started to sense her.  She then quickly moved back and gestured to the others to move away.  Irkar understood her gesture first, and moving fast, stood behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"You are scared."  he whispered very quietly where only she could hear.  "Walk where you do not sense danger but focus on me.  The rest of us will follow you.  As long as I am with you, you will not fear the others."

His words were very quiet but she heard and understood them.  Straight ahead, there was no danger and as Irkar helped to keep her fear at bay, Tirkana led the others out of the clearing while Nirpiko's rite was still in effect.

The team walked slowly while Tirkana kept her senses open to danger.  A few hours passed and after encoutering a small cave, it was time to rest.  The sun already rose, but most wanted to to sleep after the events of the night.  Tirkana was tired enough herself, and after finding enough room in the cave, she fell asleep along with the others.

Most of them slept softly, Irkar, Girana and Leenar often waking up to the slightest noise.  Yet Tirkana continued to rest as a series of strange visions flashed through her mind.  It was hard to tell exactly what was going on in her dream, but a variety of images seemed to relay something very important.  She often saw Irkar holding her and even defending her from the earth drinkers, but that did not surprise her as much as a direct encounter with the enemy.

SHe could feel their strength and their danger, but in a mass of blurred visions, she found herself face to face with an earth drinker and eating him.  She was in warrior form, her teeth as fangs and her fingernails turned into claws.  As her fear was easily at bay in the dream, she found herself the more powerful one...no earth drinker could harm her in her mind.

Yet reality was  a different matter and with regret she open to slowly open her eyes.  Crickets chirped in the distance and began to welcome the night.  She stretched a bit and rising slowly, began to find the others.

Irkar walked into the cave and smiled a bit as he saw her rise, "I was coming to get you, Rikono was sent to hunt for us."

She yawned a bit and turned to look directly at him, "So that's how we eat?  We have to hunt for it?"

"It's in our nature to hunt.  You have yet to accept who you are.  You are part wolf Tirkana, and much more."

She nodded and knew it certainly was a lot to accept.  Already her empathic senses began to tune in to her surroundings.  There was no danger nearby, but was still something intense.  To no surprise, she looked at Irkar directly with her eyes open wide, "I know, something strong is inside you, a very strong emotion."

"For you."  Irkar began to advance, "There is so much to tell you, so much to share."  he then stopped to look at her and gague her reaction to his words.

"There is so much to learn."  she said in a matter of fact tone, keeping her distance a bit.

"Yes."  he agreed and began to walk toward a small fire outside, "And I do not wish to rush you with what is on my mind."

Tirkana took a deep breath and began to turn away from him.  She knew she could find out exactly what Irkar was feeling and why, but she didn't want to spend the time on his emotions right now.  One thing was for sure, she did not sense danger from him.  That was a very good thing.

Leenar, Nirpiko, Girana, and Hirlot sat near the fire as the elder continued his conversation.

"We need to leave this area.  We are safe from the earth drinkers for just a moment, but with so much life around this cave, there has got to be a better place."

"There always is a better place."  Leenar said, "And that will be our haven."

"But where will that be, and better yet when will we find it?"  Girana sighed, "We've been running for too long."

Hirlot could only roll his eyes as he heard her words, "Running away for too long, great words from a flyer."

"Hey guys."  Irkar said, "Let's not get upset here, especially in front of our new guest.  We will find a haven, but let's discuss the plan after Rikono brings back the food."

"There is nothing to discuss."  Nirpiko said regaining his authority, "We will leave for the desert soon.  There is still life in the desert but not as abundant.  I do not think the earth drinkers will look for us there, at least for a little while."

"Desert."  Tirkana muttered.  New Mexico often seemed to be nothing but one big desert to her at times.  She didn't feel much relief in the thought but looked in the distance as she and the others saw Rikono approach.

His expression was smug as he threw four rabits toward the fire, "Clean them."  he said, his tone demanding.

Tirkana was about to say something, but Irkar seemed to read her mind.  "Something else you might find as you're with us Tirkana, many of us cannot afford to  be subtle with what we have to face."

"Or nice."  Girana answered as she took one of the rabbits and began to skin them.

Tirkana didn't offer to help.  At this moment she was under confused enough she knew skinning a rabbit for dinner would hardly make her more comfortable.  Sitting away from the fire, she looked at Nirpiko who offered her a slight smile.

"There is much to learn young one."  the elder said, "But I believe you will be the one to lead us to our haven."

"Lead us?"  she asked in disbelief, "I can barley understand any of this, what makes you think I can lead anyone here?"

"Because you can sense the earth drinkers, whereas we cannot.  They have often been able to sense our fear, but with you we can now sense them."

"And what can the others do?"

Nirpiko took a long finger and began to reintroduce everyone, "Our tribe is not only a tribe of shifters but a gifted one.  Leenar is our healer and Girana can fly above and be a good lookout for us.  Hirlot can camoflauge himself and sometimes others here, but his powers have limitations as they can only be used during the day.  Rikono can move through objects, and Irkar is faster and stronger than any of us.  Since I am the oldest one, I can cast rites and like Girana, communicate telepathically.  Since your abilities are of an empathic nature, you may be able to as well."

It took Tirkana a while to understand all of this, but in time she figured she would know what was going on.  Still her confusion did not go unnoticed as Nirpiko said, "Listen to your dreams, what I cannot explain they will."

"I do."  she said, "Last night the visions did not all make sense."

"How can that be?"

"You call them earth drinkers, but I was drinking one of them when I changed into my warrior form.  I could never drink them."

"That's very unlikely."  the elder agreed, "If you ever would, they would become part of you forever.  You would very likely be destroyed or turn evil as they are."

"So do not listen to my dreams?"

"No my child, always listen to your dreams especially now.  We will leave for the desert soon.  It is a barren land and while I think the earth drinkers will not find us there as easily, we cannot be sure and will always have dangers to face."

After the rabbits were cleaned and cooked, the tribe quickly gathered themselves and headed for the desert.  The area of the cave was peaceful enough, but they all knew no place was safe until a permananet haven was found.  Tirkana found the meat a bit tough to chew and being the last one to finish her meal, she watched the others plan the best route to the desert, fearful of the barren wasteland ahead.

New Mexico did have such areas and Tirkana remembered her father talk about them.  Sometimes she would go out on rides through the wastelands with her father, but knowing the areas lead to nowhere, she was always happy to return back to town.

Leenar approached Tirkana with Irkar not far behind, "It is time to go."  the healer told her, "And do not be afriad, I know this is all new to you, but in time you will learn how to fight."

"And until then I will protect you."  Irkar proclaimed, "We need to begin our journey before night.  We have some water packed and Girana can find more if we need it."  extending a hand, he offered to help her to her feet, "Let's go."

Tirkana accepted his offer and in moments she rose to her feet.  "Thank you."  she said softly and followed the others as they walked away.

The first few hours of the journey were rather confusing to Tirkana.  Rikono led the team through a series of trails that seemed to lead no where.  Yet she did not question where she was headed and in time, the desert lands became apparent.

The air was dry and hot and the area, nothing but hot sand and a variety of cactii and rocks.  Seeing that they had finally arrived, the group sat down to rest.  Being eager to stop, Tirkana hit the ground with a thud and looked over at the others.

"What now?"  she asked as she leaned forward to take off her shoes.  Not used to walking so long, she started to rub her feet and awaited an answer.

"We rest."  Irkar said, "But perhaps..you need to learn how to control your shifting."

"We don't have time."  Hirlot interjected, "We're not far enough in the desert yet."

"For this I will make time."  Irkar turn turned to look at Nirpiko, "With your permission great elder, I will stay behind to begin to teach Tirkana how to shift. "

"No."  Leenar said, "As much as Tirkana needs to learn this, we can't risk leaving the two of you behind."

"It is no secret that I am the fastest and the strongest here.  If Tirkana senses the enemy I will carry her away to the others if I have to.  Besides, if we remain gone for too long, Girana can always fly behind and find us."

"He has a point."  Nirpiko said, "Girana, take to the skies.  The rest of us, rise now and continue."  the elder nodded in respect to Irkar, "Your request is granted."

It was apparent the others didn't necessarily agree with a few stiffled growls.  Yet no one was to argue and in moments, began to move forward into the wasteland.

"I'll be watching you and the others."  Girana said telepathically as she took to the skies.  Irkar nodded a bit, acknowleding he heard her, and in moments the two were left alone.

"Are we really going to be safe?"  Tirkana asked, "With the others so far behind?"

"We will be, even if I have to protect you with my own life.  This is something I must show you now and quickly, so you will be able to fight."

Tirkana sighed a moment, seeming a bit unsure about the situation.  Looking back to him she asked, "Why are you so concerned for me?"

Irkar took a step closer and looked directly into her eyes, "For the longest time I have seen you in my dreams, you just never knew it.  There is more to you and even more to us than you realize.  And with your abilities to sense emotions, you need not ask such questions."

She looked at him again, this time for a longer moment.   As she began to stare she frooze as a variety of images flashed in her mind.  They were quick, but revealed scenes of Irkar and Tirkana, side by side.  Then she felt emotions of a loving nature...until she emotions became so intense, she felt love.

But it wasn't normal love, it was a love that bekoned his soul to cry out.  He took a step forward and blinked to hopefully tear away their stare.  "I..." he started to say as the images subsided, "You know how I feel."

"Yes."  she said and took a step back, "But..this can't be true, I just met you."

"It is true, and is very rare."  he wanted to take a step forward, to be closer to her and reveal what he was feeling with words, "There is so much to say.."
 

"Please...don't say it."  Tirkana said as she moved her hand in front of her.  He backed down in response to her gesture, "People like this don't fall in love so quickly."

"But you know it's happening."  he said, "It is rare but true, and we are meant to be together.  I know your dreams have tried to tell you such."

"NO!"  she shouted, but this time she was not shouting in response to Irkar.  As she yelled, an intense feeling of dread flowed through her body.  She shivered and began to wrap her arms around herself, "Earth drinkers."  she muttered, "Are here."
 
 

Her stomach began to quiver until she finally began to feel nauseated, "Not now..oh no, they're coming and it's not just one."

Fear flooded her senses as she stepped away but Irkar did his best to hide his anxiety.  In seconds he growled loudly and shifted into warrior form.  "You will need to fight."  he managed to take the time to speak.  It was not as easy for him to talk when he was ready for battle, but now he focused so he would.  Already shadows began to gather in the distance and he knew it was them.

And Tirkana knew as well.  Her eyes grew wide as they came closer and in mere seconds, they began to materialize into shadowy shapes.  "Shift!"  Irkar yelled as he took a defensive stance.  There was enough adrenaline through her body that she shouldn't find it difficult, but her fear kept her from changing.

Then they were upon him and Irkar clawed at two shadowy figures that began to pull at his arms.  He growled and in rage, managed to slice at the figures.  The one to his right screeched as it fell back, but the one to his left had a firmer hold.  Feeling overconfident, Irkar didn't react as quickly as he should to keep the other one at bay.  A few seconds were all it took and the earth drinker managed to strike him in the stomach with a shadowy, balled fist.

Irkar howled as he fell back but wasn't going to give up.  The blow did connect which left him with a slight sense of vertigo he had to overcome.  Tirkana watched this and almost immediately began to sense his pain.  Had it been true?  Did she really have intense feeling for her protector?

Yet it was not the right time to assess feelings but instinct.  An animalistic impulse caused her finger nails to grow long and strong, and cause her teeth to elongate.  She was shifting into warrior form and not too late for another earth drinker was approaching in the distance.

"No!"  she howled out as she could not only see but sense it.  Already Irkar was having enough problems feeling disoriented, she knew he could not handle another attack now.  As her rage rose, she ran toward the newcomer, her fangs and claws extended.

And at the same time Irkar was doing everything to fend his attacker off.  Yet as disorientation consumed him, his blows were not connecting with the shadowy one.  With each punch the earth drinker delivered he fell back to the ground until he was almost unconscious.

As if she was connected with Irkar, Tirkana froze as he hit the ground with a thud.  She shrieked in despair and turned to face the two earth drinkers that remained.  "Do not hurt him."  she managed to say in a stiffled growl.  "Do not come any closer to him."

"He's dead."  they both responded in unison, "We have waited long to slay this warrior."

"Then let the desert have him, much better to die by nature than by your evil hand."

"No he dies now!"  they shrieked and began to advance.

Then in a final plea, Tirkana called out, "Wait!  You know he will die regardless, he is so close to death, we can all sense it hoover around him.  But that's not all you want, is it?  If one of you fights me and wins, I'll give myself to your destruction, and even help kill him if that's what you wish.  Otherwise I'll run and find the others.  And you know my kind has powers to do such things, even you cannot comprehend."

If nothing else, Tirkana knew that no other earth drinkers were near, so perhaps she had the upper hand?  Then again perhaps not, but fearing for Irkar's life, she was perpared to sacrifice anything.

One of the figures hissed and began to walk toward her, "I accept."  he growled, "But let's get this over with, I want death to come for you too."

Fear rose strong in Tirkana, and she knew the drinkers could probably sense it.  "Must focus...must be strong."  she muttered softly and claws extended, she began to charge.

In less than a second, her arm was extended and was ready to swipe at the drinker.  Yet it was faster and even seemed to predict her motions.  In reaction, it tumbled down to the ground and rolled under her.  She growled knowing she missed but didn't expect that it would jump up quickly and attack.

Its hand was not just hard, but managed to shape into a cone like weapon.  The end of it was very sharp, and without warning pierced her side creating a deep, blood wound.  She jumped back and howled in intense pain yet tried to gather her wits about her.  While gathering her senses, the drinker was upon her again and punched her face twice until it finally landed a hard blow on her chest.

She was knocked back and howling in anger, she fell to the ground.  Then a sensation began to well up inside her gut that was previously foreign to her.  This sensation forged on the feelings of rage and courage, she jumped up faster than she expected herself to and charged the drinker again..this time more focused.

Perhaps it was now her enemy who underestimated her power.  In seconds it was pummeled by a large punch to its torso.  It screeched in horror and didn't have time to defend itself against the next two attacked.  Howling in fury, Tirkana swipped at its chest and face creating at least two deep wounds that stunned the drinker.  Her own wound at this time, didn't seem to phase her.

Perhaps it was the heat of the moment or anger at her enemy that made her numb to the bloody hole in her side.  Yet she found enough strength to land one more wound again in its torso which was more deeper than the previous ones.

When it connected the drinker shrieked in agony.  It knew it underestimated her and sensed its own death near.  Yet Tirkana began to have other plans for her foe and remembered the dream she had the other night.

Teeth barred and mouth wide open, she began to eat at the shadowy figure driven on one thing...instinct.  She knew in the dream she ate it based on her primal nature, and began to follow what the vision relayed.  She need not only eat some of it, but all of it and have no fear of what might happen as a result.

The drinker did not have a particular taste, but felt cool as it entered her mouth.  It was as if a chilled, tasteless pudding flowed over her tongue and down her throat until it entered her chest.  There she felt the drinker's power and even sensed its evil as her chest began to grow warm.

The more she ate the more warm inside her felt.  Then there was nothing left before her.  The other drinker was horrified at seeing its companion devoured and soon left the two alone in the desert.  Irkar began to heal, and looked at Tirkana wide eyed, "Did you just do..what I think you did?"  he asked as he began to shift down.

She nodded at him and began to wrap her arms around her chest.  While the drinker felt cool and then warm as it went inside her, it now began to feel cold until she felt her stomach turn. "I have defeated it..and devoured it."
 

But something else was going to happen and Tirkana knew it.  The more her stomach turned the more Irkar knew she might be in danger.  Her eyes glazing over, she ran farther into the barren wasteland of the desert, Irkar not far behind.

Her feet moved quick but couldn't sustain her body as her stomach continued to quiver.  As her pace slowed, she finally stopped running and began to shift to her normal form.  Gut churning, she couldn't focus on anything else and began to fall to the ground.  Irkar was not far behind and slowly started to shift into his human form to watch her carefully.  Concern showed as he kneeled down beside her, not knowing what to expect next.

"I feel it."  she moaned, "Inside me, it is warm inside me and is changing.  The earth drinker did not die when I devoured it, but it's changing."

"You shouldn't of done it and you know you shouldn't of.  Nirpiko warned you.  Girana should not be too far, I know she will come and maybe Leenar will know how to heal you."

"But I don't...need healing."  she gasped, "It's changing inside of me, it is not changing me..not changing."  then she crouched down on all fours and felt her esophagus quiver.  Her mouth wide open, the remains of the earth drinker was about to be expelled.

Her chest grew tight and warm and seeing her mouth wide, Irkar jumped back a few feet.  Then suddenly, a large beam of green light escaped her mouth and hoovered over the sand.  No doubt she was expelling what she consumed, and even though the light was warm and beautiful to look at, she couldn't help but gag on it as it flowed out of her.  She then took a deep breath and gagged again.  More light was expelled and began to spread over the land around them.

The light was bright and caught the attention of one flying overhead.  Speaking telepathically, Girana entered they're minds, "What's going on?"  she asked mentally.

Irkar was the only one who could answer as Tirkana continued to expell the remains of her victim.  "She devoured an earth drinker..and now she's expelling it."

"The others are not far off."  Girana told him, "In fact, the light attracted them and they're coming to investigate."

Tirkana couldn't respond until she finally expelled the last beam of light.  Exhausted from the experience, she fell to the ground and looked over at Irkar.  He immediately rushed to her side and listened to her intently as she spoke to him.

"I cannot sense, any danger.  I feel so weak, so tired, but look around you.  There is no danger."

He held her close in his arms.  Her pulse was growing weak and Irkar couldn't help but shiver in fear of what might happen to her, "hang in there."  he told her, "The others are coming."

"But look."  she said, "Look around you, look at the desert, it's changing.  I devoured an earth drinker and transformed him to life.  A life that will be hidden to them, but will be revealed to us."

"I, don't understand."  he said as he continued to hold her, "Nothing good can come from the earth drinkers."

"Many good things came from the fight.  I defeated one and changed it so its energy now builds a haven, and I realized that no matter how much I was afriad of it, or tried to deny it, I love you.  I had to take such a risk because that way, they would leave you alone..even if it meant trying to trick them into believing I would actually help kill you.  I could never hurt you, and now you will be safe..forever."

This only made him hold her closer while a fear tears began to well up in his eyes.  "I love you too, so much Tirkana.  I knew it in my dreams and know it now, I always knew it and knew I would find you."

She moved her face to look behind him, "Look around...please my love, look what my sacrifice is giving you."

For a few moments he turned his face from the sight of his beloved to look at the green light.  Just as she said, it was starting to change things.  The desert began to turn green and shift into blades of grass.  The cacti twisted and turned to reveal tall trees with long leaves and branches.  The few animals in the area turned from snakes and lizzards to birds, rabbits and other small furry creatures.  Then some vast pathces of barren sand began to turn into small lakes and ponds.  He was amazed at this and couldn't believe his eyes.

And the rest of the tribe couldn't believe their eyes either.  They were beginning to come into view and as Tirkana grew more weak, Irkar shouted out to them.  "Here!"  he called out, "Hurry she's dying."  already he could feel her heart stop.  Transforming the earth drinker into energy took too much out of her, and exhaustion began to turn into death.

"No."  he moaned in agony, "Not after all this, not after finally finding you.  I am your protector Tirkana, your mate.  You cannot die, not after all this."

As if she was able to sense the situation, Girana quickly flew over to the rest of the team.  Without much warning, she grabbed Leenar and quickly flew the healer over to the two.  "No time to ask questions."  the flyer said as the healer was dropped beside them, "You know what to do."

Leenar quickly kneeled beside Irkar and Tirkana.  Taking a deep breath, she hoped her powers could bring her back to life.  Using her magic, her hands glowed with a white light as she placed them on Tirkana's chest.  Focusing on her lack of energy, Leenar began to rejuvinate the empath until she finally began to move in Irkar's arms.

Being extremely relieved, he held Tirkana close and muttered, "Thank you."  to Leenar.  The healer smiled and moved back a few feet, allowing the two to remain close to one another, while the others stood in awe of their hidden haven on earth.