Rieka was standing on the shore looking north. The mist of the sea was hitting her in the face, the smell of salt was heavy in the air. She saw a bird dive down to the waves and carry off a fish. She turned around and saw her parents house nestled away into a hill. He mother was in the garden, her father was off on Esthar cutting firewood for the winter. Rieka heaved a sigh, she knew her mother wouldn’t like the decision she had made but it was time for her to go elsewhere in life. Rieka was leaving home tomorrow and she didn’t know if she would ever come back.

That evening over dinner Rieka told her parents that she was leaving, her mother tried to talk her out of it, “Rieka you’re only 17 your to young to go out on your own, most children wait until their at least 20 or 25.” “Mother,” Rieka said, “ I am not most other werewolf children, besides human children leave around this age.” Her mother shook her head “You are not human Rieka, and you’re my only baby I’m not ready for you to leave.” Rieka stood up and went behind her mother and wrapped her arms around her. “I’ll come and visit often mother.” Her mother turned and looked at her father, her father nodded his head. “Fine Rieka you can go in the morning but now eat your dinner.” Rieka kissed her mother on the seat and sat back down to her dinner.

Suddenly they heard voices shouting outside. Rieka’s father ran to the door and looked out, Rieka and her mother were close behind. They saw a ship on the shore and swarming over the beach were humans some carrying swords, others with bows. A group of them were heading towards the house, Rieka’s father walked towards them with an outstretched hand. They talked for a moment Rieka’s father got mad, suddenly one of the men drew his sword and beheaded her father. Beside her, her mother transformed with a growl and the sound of ripping cloth. “Run Rieka!” She screamed. Rieka ran back through the house, and grabbed the bag she had packed for the morning. She looked out the door in time to see her mother tear into her father’s killer. The other men attacked her mother. She howled in pain. She fell dead, one of the men turned and saw Rieka and started running towards her. She ran out the back door away from her home and everything she had ever known.

The man that had seen Rieka was starting to lose her when another group of three men, that were able to hide their scents, appeared in front of her and Rieka ran into him and fell down, but then Romulus came and attacked and killed the men trapping her. Then Romulus grabbed her and ran away from the other men not far behind. Once he couldn't see the men anymore he hid both him and the Rieka in the nearby bushes. Once the men had caught up they searched for the two of them, but with no luck finding either of them left the area to search somewhere else. Once they were finally gone Romulus asked Rieka, "Are you alright?"

"Rieka fought against the person holding her. "I have to run...I have to get away from here! Mother told me to run I have to run! Their going to kill me and I don't know why. Let me go!" She yelled, finally pulling free from him. She took off running again tears streaming down her face. She kept falling over roots and branch disoriented by the turmoil in her head. She clutched her bag to her chest and continued plunging through the trees not noticing the noise she was making.

Romulus heard the men coming back towards the noise Rieka was making. So he ran to her quickly and grabbed her again and put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. This time he climbed up high in a tall tree and waited for the men to leave. Once they gave up again Romulus jumped down with Rieka and said to her, "You need to calm down and think this through if you just run off those men will most likely catch you. If you continue doing what you were doing earlier you would be caught for sure. I'm sure your parents your parents would want you to do whatever you could to survive and if you would like I could try to help you escape from these humans?" Then Romulus put her down on the ground gently and looked at her.

Rieka looked at the man. "I'm alone, I have no home, and I don't know why they did it. Then you show up, why? Why help me? I've never seen you before. think Rieka." She said turning away from him, "Maybe he works for them, could be a trap, why though? Why come to the northern shore and why...kill...my parents?" She turned back to him. "Why are the humans after me, who are you, and why are you going to help me? I can tell if you're not telling the truth, so be honest."

Romulus knelled down and said, "Well the same thing happened to me when i was young my mom died in child birth and my dad died trying to protect me and I've been alone ever since. I guess that you sort of remind me of myself when I was your age, but as for the human's purpose here I'm not sure but whatever it is it doesn't look good." Then Romulus stood up and asked, "Do you want my help or not?"

"I want to know why they're here. I'm not going to just run away from this. I don't need revenge, father always said that revenge was pointless, it didn't solve the hurt done to you. But I need to know why, and I think I need your help. Please." she said looking at him in the eyes.

"If that is what you want it sounds fine to me the leader most likely is still on the ship they arrived on. Most likely in the captains room and we'll most likely also have to fight many enemies on the way. Do you have any attacks and if so tell me a bit about them so I can think of a plan to get us there the fastest and least violent way." Romulus asked Rieka.

"Of course I have some attacks, what kind of person do you think I am? Purge, throws enemies away purging them from my vicinity. Shield, your typical shielding spell. Great Heal, healing spell. Freezing Light, I devised that one myself, it paralyzes anything within a 15 ft radius for a minute, of course...it paralyzes me for 5 seconds....but I'm working on fixing that. I'm not that useful of a fighter in this form, I can do simple hand to hand combat but my size is a mild disadvantage, but in my wolf form my speed, teeth, and strength tend to be quite effective against most foes. I'm sorry that was long winded, Mother taught me to be thorough." Rieka said pacing as she talked to the man.

Romulus thought to himself for a while and then said, "Well the ship is at the shore west of here of course. So if head north to avoid at least most of the humans looking for us. Then once we go north a while we head west to the shore. Then once we reach the shore I should be able to see the ship and I'll teleport us on the ship. That's when it gets challenging there will be lots of enemies there and we head to the captains room. I must warn you though I am going to leave the leader for you alone since it is your fight, but I will defeat anyone other than him."

"Sounds like a plan, Lets head out but just give me one second to change...the humans are looking for a girl, not a man and a wolf. It might help keep them from pursuing us if anyone spots us from a distance, plus like I said...more effective fighter in wolf form. Just get me to that bastards room and then you can do what you want." Rieka said as she walked off behind a tree.

Romulus turned away from Rieka while she changed. Once she was done Romulus turned around said, "Lets go," as he started to head north. After they had been traveling for a while he asked Rieka, "While you are in wolf form are you still able to use you spells?"

Rieka came out from behind the tree with her pack on her back and began walking with the man. "Yes, I can use spells," She said looking up at him. "Most werewolves probably can't but I was born this way. To me the only difference between my forms are the shape and a slight increase in certain senses in wolf form. Mentally I'm neither human or wolf...I am a true were. Mother could do some of her simplest spells in wolf form, but she was transformed when she was 30. Father saved her and that's how they met, how my family started, and now it's over. But that is neither here or now. What about you, what are your skills?" She said looking up at him as he towered above her.

"Well first of all I can teleport where ever I can think of, but I haven't seen exactly where the ship is that is why I haven't teleported there from here. I can also use gravity sink, which slows down or can sometimes stop movements completely. I can use that on a group of people, but when I do that you have to use distant attacks or your movements also slow down. Finally I have and attack that I instillate my sword with lightning and I move at the speed of lightning. I can also electrocute any enemies I attack and lasts for 4 minutes, but it tires me out afterwards," said Romulus continuing to head north.

"Interesting." Rieka said as they continued walking. In her mind she was trying to remember all the details she could about the ship and the men on board and ashore. In hind site it was obvious they weren't traders. Traders don't come ashore with that many armed men, especially on this island. "They're heavily armed and aggressive," she muttered thinking aloud. "Whatever their after they'll do anything to get it, but what does this island have...let alone the northern shore. whatever their after father didn't want them to have it...so neither do I." She finished with a whisper and a nod of her head still pondering why they were there.