It hadn't taken Baynes shadow-pack long to spread out across the valley in search of, well everything really. In the form of the pack, he could be in multiple places at once, and even 'appear' in a way, though only as a weak manifestation of his true self. The pack still had to come together for Bayne to be able to use his full potential, but even at a fifth it was enough to deal with most critters and wildlife, so long as it didn't tax him too much. And there were five copies of him roaming the valley, scouting out every inch as quickly, or lazily, as he liked.

One in particular had made its way south, going by the compass direction more than any real reason to head that way. The scent of Man had fallen back a long way, telling Bayne that this area was not one trafficked often, if ever at all. Here, everything seemed, less tamed, more wild and free, including himself in a way. It was an unsettling feeling for him to say the least, his bestial nature hadn't so much as twitched without his say so in centuries, but now he could feel it stirring at the back of his mind, like a bear rousing from deep hibernation.

Regardless, Bayne pushed on, senses sharp and each step carefully placed. What ever was setting to wake the beast within would find his jaws at its throat if things went awry. Or he'd wind up humping their leg in a seasonal frenzy, it was hard to tell.

The recent events were taxing. The infecting and new man, the passing of so many of his pack to such a weak creature. He needed to get away, to disappear for a while. He had made his way back to his new home a little less than a day ago. He was just now making it to the clearing that housed his new home. Like usual he stops in the middle closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening his eyes and letting the breath out he makes for the moss covered home and disappears through the moss. He made his way into the home and sits near the fireplace. He had forgotten how peaceful it was here. Everything just seemed to slip away. All the stress all the responsibility, everything. He leans back against the wall and his black hair falls over his cobalt eyes he takes a few deep breaths and soon drifts off to sleep.

An intruder had entered her domain and the forest reacted. Everything became silent, the beast disappeared, the trees grew still. A shadow seemed to pass over the moon setting the forest into and even deeper darkness then usual. This was no ordinary intruder, a shadow wolf. She sensed the one she had spotted before, but only faintly. She sensed the wolf, but only faintly. She smiled as she felt Akira enter her domain and seek shelter in her hidden home. She sent out her own scouts, each appearing no more then a flicker of light. Wisp they were and they danced among the trees, darting in and out like playful children. Was that laughter drifting on the breeze?

One appeared before the shadow beast, it's laughter taunting, it danced near a thicket. It's goal to lead the beast on a merry chase if he saw fit to play it's game. Another suddenly appeared to the rear of the beast and did a merry dance between and around his legs, only to dart off in the direction of the first. It joined it, and the two danced playfully. Another appeared to fly at the face of the beast only to stop right before its eyes. Its light brightened right before the eyes of the beast, then it disappeared. Now there were three, they giggled playfully, the sound filling the forest.

All the while she watched the wisp at play, yet she was no where to be seen. A gentle breeze began to stir, causing the fallen leaves to rise up and dance around the shadow beast. They twisted and turned, more and more joining in until the beast was in the midst of a cyclone of dancing leaves. The laughter of the wisp ringing in it's ears. Just as suddenly as the breeze appeared it stopped, the leaves falling in drifts around the beast. The forest once again became still and the wisps laughed all the more.

The moment things got still and quiet, Bayne knew he had been found out. He couldn't tell what or where, but he guessed it had to be the same presence, or possibly one similar to it, that he had encountered when he first arrived in the valley. When the wisps came about him, he knew he was being played with, snuffing at the one that got up in his face but not making any move to chase after them.

When the breeze started the leaves to dancing, he hunkered down, laying himself in such a way that when the wind stopped, the leaves pretty much hid him from view when they finished falling. From within the leaf-litter, he came up with a plan, withdrawing into himself all the more, making it nigh impossible to know he were still there.

All at once, a shadow-wolf burst from the leaves, chasing after the wisps in a merry fashion,its steps as solid as those of a real wolf, its entire presence more solid. When it had no doubt been lead some distance, the leaf pile grew darker as a shadow formed among the leaves, only to slip away as silent as a shade, barely more than a tenth of the shadow that had wandered into the forest.

It was a gamble, but letting the 'wolf' play while 'Bayne' slipped away to continue investigating was hopefully going to be worth it. Being nothing more than a wispy shadow with a wispy consciousness, it wouldn't take a hell of a lot to send that tenth back to its other nine parts, forcing Bayne to have to back track and make up the lost progress all over again.

Eyes that could not be seen watched the wisp at play. They watched the shadow wolf disappear beneath the mound of leaves. She felt the change, lips parted in a slow smile. When the wolf burst from the leaves to chase the wisp, her laughter rang with theirs. The sound filled the forest, it was a playful, childish, musical sound. As the wisp disappeared, being chased by the shadow wolf, the laughter slowly faded back into the watchful silence.

The forest waited. It was not long until the wait paid off. The leaf pile grew darker, a shadow formed, then it began to move. A gentle breeze began to stir, slowly following the wayward shadow. It was him, no it was a mere shadow of the man who she had watched when he entered the valley. For some time the breeze followed the wispy shadow. Occasionally, laughter so faint; one wondered if they had heard it all, drifted through the forest. No other sound was heard. No movement, save the slight breeze. It remained near, but never close enough to be felt.

Meanwhile back at her hidden home, Akira had woken and began to sense something was amiss. From a frond of ferns a white wolf emerged. Her icy blue orbs sought out his cobalt blue gaze, a warning in her gaze. Winter spoke to him with words that only he could hear. "Do not seek the mistress, whilst she is at play." Taking a step closer, once again he would hear her words. "She is safe Akira." Then her gaze left his and she backed back into the frond of ferns and laid back down, disappearing in the lacy green foliage.

Without a proper body, Bayne couldn't sense a breeze as such, but he had the impression something was still paying him mind. It was at the point when this fifth gained its portion of the other, becoming a fourth, that he could again sense a little more. Sadly long with that rise in power came the knowledge of events both within and without the protected valley. Staying perfectly still, the shade of Bayne processed everything for a moment, and made to 'speak' when what could only be considered the emanation of pure rage and frustration washed through that secluded forest. Even the wolf stopped chasing the sprites when it felt that, turning its head and ears in the direction it had come from, its hackles raising and a low growl rolling around in its throat.

"Okay. What ever that was, I'm not sure I want to face right now. Actually, no, I don't. Not unless I have to."

Producing audible sounds without a throat was a little difficult, but he wasn't sure that what ever was toying with him could respond to his ethereal speech.

"What ever you are, I know you sent the wisps. I know you're still following me too, well now at least. I need to speak with whom ever it is that protects this valley, there are threats within and without that need speaking of. Oh, and what ever it was that just did what ever it did right now happens to be related to you, I think it's angry. If I made it that way, I apologize now."

He fell silent, remaining where he was both in shade and in wolf, just in case whatever had given off that wave of emotional outburst came across part of him.

A shiver ran through her as she heard the scream, she knew who it was immediately. Even the wisp vanished in fear, leaving the wolf growling. She could feel his rage fan out over the forest, followed by a rumbling growl. Her attention turned from the shadow, towards the sound, then back again. She watched him as he spoke. He too had heard him, felt him. She turned once more in the direction of the noise, when the shadow spoke again. A soft sigh escaped her throat at his words.

Standing just a few feet from the shadow of a man, she appeared. Though solid, she still seemed translucent. Her distress was obvious in the look on her flawless features. She appeared almost child like, so slight of frame that one would wonder was she child or woman full grown. Covered in the colors of the forest, her garments gossamer they seemed as transparent as she was. Her hair the color of autumn leaves, her eyes a fiery opal she met the shadows gaze. Her words were a soft whisper, had her lips even moved. "I have no time to play your games, I am needed elsewhere." Once again she turned and looked towards the sound longingly. "When you wish to present your self in your true form, the forest will tell you where to seek me." That said she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Leaving the shadows behind.

Just as suddenly she appeared in front of Akira and slid into his arms, supporting both his rage and his pain. "Forgive me my wolf, I am  here now." she whispered soothingly against his hair as she cradled him in her arms. Slowly the forest came back to life, other wolves came into the clearing, gathering around them. Winter and Ebon, Anay and Sion, others he had yet to meet. They all offered him their comfort and their support. As C'Preane continued to hold him in her arms and whisper soothing words.

The appearance and disappearance confirmed Bayne's belief they were the entity that had 'met' him on entering the valley, but clearly the raging thing demanded more attention than he. Not that he minded, but with her withdrawal he had no reason to remain apart and so the wolf and shade became one again, taking the form of the man in rags once more, scratching his head in mild confusion.

"Okay, so.. I think that was the protector, or at least the guardian of this area. Maybe I should go see if ther-"

The noise of the forest hadn't returned yet, only the woman's presence, faint as it was to begin with, had removed itself beyond the reach of his senses. Bayne froze regardless, something getting his attention long enough to stop him speaking and force him to sharpen his mind. finding no reason for concern, he shrugs it off, looking about the forest as he turned about to head away.

"Come back when I'm in my true form huh. Not even sure what tha-"

Again he froze, his eyes drifting closed as he focused his hearing to its preternatural and supernatural limits. Something was in the forest. Eyes snapping open, he turned to face the direction, though he couldn't be sure of the distance. He had heard it, just as the forest's noise began to return ever so slowly, the sound of something rushing through the wooded area. He remained where he was and how he was, wondering if perhaps the woman had sent the protector he had asked about, though it could just as likely be something to ensure he left the area immediately and possibly with a few more rags to his name. Either way, he stood still, wondering if it were heading his way at all or if he had simply heard some stray creature charging off after something.

She could feel the rage inside him, the pain, the hurt. Her embrace did nothing to lessen his pain and when he stepped away she just looked at him helplessly. When he turned his back to her she raised a hand to touch him but he ran. She let her hand fall slowly to her side and her eyes filled with sadness looked at the others. She took a deep breath before the others moved slowly away, each disappearing into the forest in different directions. She had set them about their task and once they were gone she disappeared behind the moss. He would return when he was ready. The shadowy one would return when he was ready. There was nothing more she could do but wait.

Without any warning as it were, Bayne suddenly powered up as the copy of him in a fight released his limiter. The ragged clothes and medium length hair vanished, replaced by short hair, a long black coat that had three straps buckled across his uncovered torso, heavy linen trousers tucked into the tops of heavy leather boots, blackened steel plates covering his feet and shins from his toes to his knees and fitted leather riding gloves on his hands.

Along with this change in appearance came the almost beacon-like surge of energy, the dark lightning crackling over his form as he took a knee, doing his very best to keep it under tight control so he didn't disrupt too much of the energy in the area. Even with that concentration, the release of his true potential would have been felt throughout the southern forest with ease, even more so than the strange blast of anger that had been unleashed earlier.

"**** ********** ***" Muttering a non too subtle oath under his breath in the Demonic tongue, Bayne grit his teeth, feeling everything his copy was feeling where it was fighting and knowing the other copies were suffering the same way.

"Sharing the burden, whose idea was that. Lady of the woods! I know you felt this! Right now I'm trying to keep the damage to as small an area but it's barely within my control! I can heal it, if you wish me to, a small price to pay for being part of the cause of such damage to your forest, but I CAN heal it!"

He had no idea if she were even listening to him right now or perhaps on her way to kill them all for hurting such an area of her forest, but he couldn't really risk breaking his concentration. Keeping the natural energy of the forest intact around him was hard enough, he couldn't spare a thought for what the rest of his copies were doing, or even for what might else be drawn to the release of his power and its dark nature.

Just as she entered the mossy dwelling she felt a change in the valley that caused her to stumble. She grabbed a near by chair to steady herself. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She looked around wild eyed, her pulse raced and her heart beat like a drum within her fragile chest. Her breathing labored, she slowly eased her suddenly tired body into the chair that had stayed her fall. Her head was reeling and she raised a delicate hand to her brow. She was alone,  having sent the others away. Perhaps this was best, she thought to herself. For them to see her in such a weakened state would only anger them. She felt the creature even stronger now, his dark energy seemed to hang in the air making it hard for her to breathe. She closed her opal eyes and took a deep calming breath. Waiting, listening, to the words she knew would come.

She heard him muttering to himself, the tongue demonic. She felt his pain, the drain of energy. Then she heard him address her. So he was involved in what ever was destroying the forest, destroying her. But not at fault, she reasoned as her opal gaze fluttered. She appeared weak, even more fragile then usual. Barely within his control? Heal it? These words, or thoughts were whirling within her head causing it to ache. She called on the energy of the mountains that surrounded the valley for strength. She managed enough to pull herself from this weakened state, long enough to disappear in a swirl of dust.

It was not long before the leaves at the base of a nearby tree began to stir. The tree was a very old and majestic oak, it's branches, sweeping down and touching the soft ground. The leaves seemed to gather until they began to still and the faint image of the Lady of the woods as he had called her appeared. She seemed to lean against the old tree for support. Her weakened state obvious. Her appearance still childlike but in some way she appeared as old as time itself in her weary features. Her skin almost translucent, her eyes sunken, she raised her gaze to lock with his. Her voice was so faint, that only someone with exceptional hearing would hear her whispered words. "What have you done?" she questioned, just as her form seemed to slip from the tree, to land in a limp pool of gossamer and autumn locks at the base of the tree.

While watching the woman collapse, 'Bayne's surge of power receded, retuning him to his ragged form, still kneeling though breathing a lot heavier. As the soon dissolved fourth parts share of power merged into his own to make him a full third, he at least managed to push himself upright, shaking himself down in a somewhat wolfish manner. The arrival of the other being didn't go unnoticed, though when he heard them start off, Bayne couldn't resist calling out.

"If you're looking for the Lady of the woods, she's right here, by that large Oak. If not, go find someone that can help her unless you care not."

Turning his full attention to the fallen woman, Bayne stepped nearer the old tree, taking a knee once again as he stopped a few strides short of the woman herself.

"I made the mistake of thinking my power absolute. I can not fight gravity, and that is what has hurt your forest. I tried to contain the damage as best I could, but a few square miles of forest have been erased. Perhaps I should have thought of something else, but my nature wouldn't allow such. I'm not sure about Strife, but the other male with my other part and he did not intend to harm your trees. If you'll permit me, I can start repairing what damage I can. I am not very strong with it, but I have some skill with nature, my only gift that was not born in darkness."

Her weakened form seemed almost lifeless. The only signs of life were the slow but steady rise and fall of her breathing. She could hear his words but had yet to summon the strength to reply, much less move. She was indeed at her most vulnerable. The forest seemed to almost pause in wait as she lay there beneath the old oak.

From a nearby thicket, to their left, two wolves appeared. One as black as the darkest night, the other as white as show. Slowly and cautiously they approached. From behind a large stone, to the right, two more appeared. Their coloring the same, one black, the other white. These two did not approach but seemed to linger, watching. Others began to emerge from the forest, mostly black, a few grays. They all seemed to be waiting and watching.

Only the first two approached the lady. When they were about twenty feet between them, the leaves beneath them began to stir. Rising up in a swirl until the wolves disappeared beneath the twister of leaves. As they slowly began to calm, drifting to the forest floor once again. They left in their wake a couple. Both tall and slender, he with midnight black hair and silver eyes. She with hair as white as snow and ice blue eyes. They approached with concern, but their caution obvious. Stopping only a few feet from them, the male spoke first. "I am Ebon." motioning to the female "This is my wife Winter, may we see to our mistress? he asked.

Wolves that weren't wolves, and one definite lycanthrope, going by the scent. Rising to his feet, Bayne moved away from where the woman had collapsed, taking a seat at the base of another tree, resting his back against it as he crosses his legs and shuts his eyes, his hands resting on his knees.

"I need to muster my strength before I will be able to properly try and mend what has been sundered. If the damage weakened her, then the regrowth should reverse it. I just hope she remains strong enough, if she is as connected as she seems, the regrowth attempt may be rough on her."

His voice was soft, calm, composed, the voice of someone doing everything they could to seem passive. As he sat there, he very slowly began to absorb natural energy from his surroundings, an age-old practice he had been taught by his Elven foster family. The energies of nature were recuperating him, restoring his inner balance after having unleashed the darkness twice in as many days. This restoration could not be shared among his divided parts how ever, so only one third of Bayne was being restored, at least until he felt the need to dissipate and become two halves instead.

"Oh, Mister Lycanthrope. If you come across what ever was rushing about in blind rage just a few minutes ago, please keep it away from me. Even with training, manipulating natural energy is difficult due to my heritage, so I need all the time I can get to recuperate and get a feel for its abundance and strength if I am to achieve any success in restoring even a single tree of the forest."

Ebon and Winter watched as Akira rushed to their mistress and lifted her into his arms. Her body lifeless, she gave no response as he cradled her tightly against him. They could sense his uncertainty, they were experiencing their own. Ebon having been here the longest had only seen this happen once before. Long ago when lightning had started a fire and part of the forest had burned. It took her some time to recover, but recover she did. This destruction was not caused by nature and the effects seemed worst. Ebon looked from Akira to the other. He leaned down and whispered something to Winter. She took off running, disappearing deep into the forest. Her form changing back to that of the white wolf.

He stepped forward and lay a hand on Akira's arm. "Take her to the spring, Winter will be there waiting for you." He was calm and tried to distill a level of that calm to Akira. "Submerge her into the cool water. The others will be there soon. They will know what to do." Then he released his arm and turned towards Bayne. "Can you do this in your present state of separation?" he asked. Moving closer, he noticed what he was doing and smiled. "If you will allow me" he gave a slight bow of respect "I know a place that will restore you much quicker. The valleys energy is strongest there."

Without opening an eye, Bayne simply smirked at Ebons question, his lips parting a little as he thinks on how best to respond.

"I am one third of the self that arrived in this valley, but even that was not a complete 'me'. It's a long explanation but the short of it is that no matter how many parts I break myself into, once I lift my limiter their power increases ten-fold and more. Sustaining 'this' self with natural energy benefits me in the long run, for should I need to dissolve this third and become halves, those halves will benefit from the energy 'I' absorb, which will go a long way to improving my chances of restoring the portion of forest I let get destroyed."

He paused, a rather wry expression coming over his face as he gives a lopsided shrug.

"The only real downside is that when my parts all come together, I have to assimilate all their current knowledge and usually end up with a headache that could split a mountain. The more experiences my parts go through before becoming whole, the greater the pain. It doesn't matter if we have a 'common mind' to pass information between ourselves, it doesn't convey the physical and mental attributes, merely the words we want shared."

Opening an eye at last, Bayne gave Ebon a curious stare at the mention of being led to somewhere strong in natural energy.

"In truth, I shouldn't even be relying on natural energy to alleviate my own weakness any more, but it's a habit I refuse to give up. If there is somewhere that the energy of this valley is strongest, which will aid us all in the long run once I attune to it, please take me there. I promise not to bleed the valley dry, I only need to sample it and attune my body to its flow."

Ebon watched Bayne smirk, his eyes remained closed as he spoke. He listened to his explanation of sorts, but how or why he did what he did was of no concern to Ebon. His only concern at the moment was the healing of the valley, thus the healing of his mistress. Still he listened politely, absorbing every word spoken and filing it away for later, if needed. This one was arrogant, Ebon though to himself. But not without honor.

His mention of a place that would restore him, seemed to interest him enough to at least open an eye. His curious stare, caused the corners of Ebon's lips to lift with the slightest hint of arrogance. At Bayne's acceptance he nodded and said “If you will follow me.” he then turned and began running in the same direction that Winter and Akira had taken. Soon his own form, faded into that of the black wolf, as he disappeared into the forest. He had little doubt that Bayne could keep up.

After running for several miles, through forest and thick brush, he slowed his pace. Changing into the man once more he looked back once, then disappeared through some dense foliage. Stepping into the clearing. The air suddenly changed, the energy so strong here it vibrated through every thing in the clearing. Directly ahead was the moss covered mountain face. To the right was the spring where Akira held Cpreane emerged in the cool water.

When Akira arrived and sank into the cool water, still holding CPreane, he would feel the energy of the spring. Soon Winter joined him and knelt at the edge of the spring, watching and waiting. Then others began to arrive. Fae, Nymphs, Sprites. The ones who kept themselves hidden, unseen. They came to the spring, some knelt down next to it, others stood. They all seemed

to be watching and waiting.

The black wolves, that the valley was named for, lingered at the edge of the forest. Keeping watch over their mistress. The clearing was alive with energy. It danced on the air and vibrated off the mossy face of the mountain. When Ebon entered the forest he went and knelt beside Winter. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she turned and looked at him. CPreane had yet to show any signs of improvement.

Shedding attire and form to give chase, Ebon had a large, sleek black wolf with golden eyes following alongside of him. There was no issue of Bayne keeping up, running as wolves was second nature for the hybrid, albeit a nature he tended to scorn. He was almost tempted to give in to his wolfish blood, running with his tongue out like a carefree pup, until they entered that glade.

the overwhelming force of nature present there was like running into a strong headwind, Bayne slowing to a halt and looking around in a near daze. Dropping to his haunches, he gazed about, his ears turning this way and that as hos senses tried to make sense of it all. There wasn't much going on, but the presence of natural energy was so vast it almost seemed suffocating.

Closing those golden hues slowly, Bayne slipped form, feeling out the right shape to best acclimatize to the energy, the result being that of his 'true' self. The jet-black Werewolf. He knew it was right for two reasons; the first was that he was at peace, the rage that normally came with that form subdued and dormant without his having to try, even in the presence of other wolfish beasts. The second being that the moment he started to feel out the energy, it felt like he were going to take root and become a part of the scenery.

"It is strange to be so at peace with all I know is going on, and my very nature as well. This place holds a danger for me like no other, I better make sure I never need to return or I may never be seen again."

Akira continued to hold her in his arms. The others gathered around and added their power and strength to the clearing. As he looked down at her, her eye lids began to move rapidly, as one does when one dreams. In to the mind of the black werewolf stepped a beautiful golden wolf. She seemed to glow, her spirit was so bright. Her eyes a fiery opal, met his golden gaze and she spoke to him. “Bayne you hold the key to heal me. Only by healing the forest will you make me whole again. I lay my life at your feet, what you do with it is your choice. I trust you to do what you can to make things right again. I know you did not intend for this to happen. But know this, only you can heal that which has been destroyed.” The golden wolf disappeared and Cpreane's eye lids stopped moving and she became still again.

CPreane's little speech brought nothing but a low growl and a snort from Bayne, already too far gone into a trance-like state to respond much. The knowledge was shared with his other parts but with things as they were, all he could do was wait and adapt. Sadly that in itself was proving difficult, it were as if the very nature of the forest was crushing down on him, the energy so abundant he was sure he could feel moss growing through his fur, turning him into a large hairy boulder.

The only thing keeping him from succumbing completely was his mixed blood and awakened demonic nature, a wall of darkness fencing his mind in and keeping it from taking root. He had been hoping the weak link to nature that came with his upbringing and Elven-tainted blood would allow him an edge, but instead it was turning the tables on him. That single percentile of Life in the flowing Death that was his blood still had enough strength to overwhelm his birthright.

Bayne was certain the others would begin feeling it soon, though how it would affect his other parts he wasn't so sure on. There was one thing he was very certain of though. If he failed or didn't repair the forest in time, the lycanthropic lover of the Lady would probably tear him to pieces, and there was nothing he'd be able to do in his state to prevent that either.

When the time came to play his part, the Werewolf complied, only to start howling out when things went wrong. For the entire duration of Bayne's suffering as he tried to undo the corruption he had imparted into the Ladys forest, the Werewolf had cried out, his massive frame shuddering as if struck by a Giant, over and over. Reduced to a whimpering mass of fur, he withdrew into himself, curling up and shrinking down into his pure Lupis form, laying like a whipped dog that had been kicked by a horse, twitching and breathing hard, his eyes barely open.

His gaze, what there was left to focus with, fell on the couple in the pond, his thoughts for the Lady, hoping she recovered and strong enough so to avoid the corruption that her ties to the forest may bring her. As his mind began to fade, Baynes final thoughts were screams of pain and suffering, despair flooding his very soul at the thought of the irreversible damage he had wrought in trying to mend what others had broken. The only silver lining he could make out before being swallowed by the dark, was that the Ladys lover would have no trouble in finishing him off should she be harmed in any way, and that he'd feel no pain from it either since he doubted he'd be waking again, if ever.

She lay in the cool healing waters, she felt her lovers arms around her and the energy that flowed through the clearing. She could sense the others yet she could not move. When the repair began, her relaxed form stiffened. Her eye movement increased behind closed lids. When Bayne began to howl her body began to spasm and jerk. She seemed to be feeling the same pain that the werewolf form was feeling. She began to fight the loving arms that held her, yet still she was not awake. Her strength was not that of the small woman that cared for the valley, but that of something stronger, something more dangerous. Her outward appearance remained the same but inwardly a beast raged and it was in pain. She felt as if she were on fire, her very soul being ripped apart. Still she could not open her eyes, still she could not speak. But the wrenching sound that tore from her was unlike anything that had been heard before. Once the repair was done, she instantly went limp in his arms. She took a deep, life saving breath. As if her lungs were starved for air. Her eyes flew open and stared up blankly at her lover. His first glimpse of her eyes were solid red, much like the eyes of something demonic. This quickly changed back to her familiar opal gaze. She seemed dazed and confused, then she turned her gaze on the still, beaten Lupis form of Bayne. She whispered softly “What have you done?” then she fainted.

Bayne said nothing, did nothing, felt nothing. He was paying the price for expending his energy without proper preparation, his consciousness torn and sundered, lost in the blackened depths of his tortured mind. The black wolf lay on its side, breathing hard, ragged breaths, not even a twitch coming from his inert form, the only signs of life being the rise and fall of his labouring chest, and the slowly growing flicker of bright violet sparks all over his recumbent form.

after a few minutes of flickering away, flames sprouted all over the beast, rising up silently until they stood man high, then began to twist, spiralling around a core that began to darken and take form. In time, Phoenix stood beside her fallen master, staring down at his shattered self with sorrow in her eyes and, oddly enough, crimson tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"He is gone, lost to us. To save the Lady, he sacrificed part of himself to restore the forest. The fool should have waited until he was whole, until we had helped him plan, but there was no stopping him when he acts." Her voice was soft, somewhat proud, somewhat resentful, as she slowly knelt beside the fallen wolf and gently began stroking his fur.

"His body broken, his mind in tatters, and all for the sake of someone he has no connection to. Such a reckless, stubborn, impossibly selfless fool." The crimson tears fell, splashing silently against the wolf's coat and her hands, her shoulders starting to shake as more tears began to flow.

In the instant that the third of Bayne ceased to be and returned to his now remaining halves, the wolf suddenly convulsed, kicking it's legs about, whining and growling as if in great pain. It's eyelids fluttered open, the wolf springing upright and snarling at Phoenix, clearly confused about something before staggering and collapsing again. Once more it lay, breathing heavy, but the wolf's eyes were half open, it's mind clearly returned to it even if it's strength had not.

Phoenix once more moved to Bayne's side, recognizing the return of his consciousness and no longer crying over his fate. "Master, you've returned, wha-" She stopped mid-question, a hand raising to cover her mouth in a shocked expression as the full truth of what had just occurred struck her due to her connection to Bayne's mind. "No, you're not.. Oh Master, what have you done?"

"Don't mind me Phoenix, but warn Wolf. The one he guards may not be in his right mind when he awakens, and with the Elf put down and that bastard Warlock prowling outside this valley, I'll need to recover as quickly as possible to put myself in my place before more of the valley suffers. Without the Vampire to lend a hand now, the Demon is going to be difficult to handle, let alone approach." The voice that came from the black wolf was of an ethereal nature but clearly audible to everyone near, as if spoken aloud from a physical throat. Lifting his head and turning to stare at the pair still in the pool of water, his golden gaze steady on the woman in the man's arms.

"We're probably going to need her strength for this as well, so someone better wake her up. I don't know what effect our attempt to heal the forest had on her, but she will be a key part in subduing the Demon that resides within the Dark Woods now. I just hope she hasn't been corrupted to the point that she sides with him, or we're all in serious trouble."