The Shadows- *Started, but spots still open!*

ANNAROSE

Okay. So stupid idea. No way could I carry them both. Helen leviated them a bit and it helped, but walking-still a major problem.

I sighed. "Helen, I can't walk let alone run. I'm going to let my pride slip momentarly and let you and the others take the kids." I was weak and evrybody could see it; something I hated with all my heart.

Helen nodded and lowered them to the ground. "How're you going to run?" she asked.

I limped over to a tree. "Best part about my gift, is that you can become a monkey momentarly," I muttered. I grabbed the lowest limb and hauled myself up. Swinging from tree to tree was something I had done as a kid.

Helen grinned. "What's Rosey doing?" Jacob asked.

Helen shrugged. "I don't know, but we've got to get going." Jacob and Ginny scrambled onto her back and she took off.

I climbed a bit higher before beginning my monkey mode of transporation. I felt like a moron, but it was fun for the most part. I couldn't hold back a grin.

GINNY

I climbed onto the girl's back. I was scared, but they said they would take care of me. I didn't know why we were running either. I stared at the girl's neck. I hadn't ever actually seen anybody with dark skin, but it was really pretty. Jacob climbed up next to me and I almost fell. For some reason I didn't.

"Ginny, can I touch your snake?" Jacob asked me, making his eyes go wide.

I glared at him for a tiny bit, but let him touch him. "Fine. Be careful with him though!" I told him.

"What's his name?" He grinned when he touched his scaly back.

"Calile," I muttered, "Okay, that's enough!" I didn't know Jacob very well yet. He could touch Calile more if he was nice to me. He handed me a piece of meat and I nibbled it a little. I wasn't really hungry-but oh well.

Zanea

I grinned and laughed. "Wow, I guess Rose is part monkey," I said in surprise.

"She's got a lot of talents, what can she say?" Han laughed.

We continued walking... I was tired, but of course I would never say that. If I needed to stop, I'd pull out some other excuse. I didn't like looking weak, even more than AnnaRose. Eventually, the fact that Ginny and Jacob were asking to stop made me cave in and 'pretend' to be tired for them.

"Let's stop, just for a second, so that we can kind of sit down, ok?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "That alright, Anna?"

Chris

I watched them walk further and further away till I decided to drop down from the tree and resume following them.

"Let's stop, just for a second, so that we can kind of sit down, ok?" One of the rebels asked.

I relaxed and leaned my back on a tree closing my eyes and drifting away.

"W- w...who are you?" The little girl asked as terror filled her eyes. Crap! I opened my mouth closed it and then opened it again.

"Shush" I said raising my hand to my lips a wry smile on my lips. Such a time to get caught.

"Anna!" She screamed before I could jump to cover her mouth.

Fuc-I mean Frickity Frick!

Zanea

I jumped to might feet. "What is it, Ginny?!" I asked hurriedly.

"Look!" she said. "Someones watching us!"

I quickly grabbed my knife and held it to his throat. "Are you a spy for the prince?" I asked threateningly, "Or-" I let my grip on the knife relax and pulled it down slightly so it was still a threat, "Are you ok?"

Chris

I watched the knife pointed at me by the girl who glared at me with blazing eyes.

"What do you mean by OK?" I asked in a joking tone of voice but the knife got scarily close to my neck.

"Jeez chill!" I said. "I come in peace..." I said an impish smile appearing but the knife was still at my throat.

"I don't work for the prince." I said. "Happy!"

"Ecstatic." She replied and dropped her knife to her sides but still watching me with increasing suspicion.

Zanea

"So, what are you doing here spying on us if you don't work for his royal idiocy?" I asked, more calm now but still suspicious. "Usually you don't make friends by spying on them in trees."

"I was curious, ok?" they said.

"You were- ok, whatever. What's your name?" I asked.

"Chris."

"I'm Zanea."

ANNAROSE

I lowered myself carefully from the tree and staggered over to where Zanea was stading over some other creep. "Who's that?" I demanded, unsheathing my sword and pointing it at him.

"Chris," he muttered.

"Just what we need. Another member to add to the troup." I sighed. "Why was he following us?"

By now the others were all gathered around, staring at the newcomer without emotion. This was starting to become a regular thing. "He claims that he was 'curious,'" Zania informed me.

Of course. They were all curious. Then they tied your hands and brought you back to the palace for some rich reward. I glanced at Han for help. He was the one who could sense danger, after all.

GINNY

I cowered behind the grown-ups. Chris was scary. He eyed Calile curiously. "Who's that?" He asked.

I backed up. "Calile," I whispered. "He's my snake." I petted him just to prove my point.

The Chris-guy laughed and I stuck out my tongue at him.

Han:

I shook my head. There was no danger here. I stood and walked over t the new boy, Chris, and walked around him a couple of times.

"He's not with the prince," I said and looked at Anna. She nodded. We would know; I was the prince's half-brother. I sat down under a tree again. "So, Chris, what brings you out here, into the forest?"

Zanea

I waited for his reply. If Han thought he was ok, obviously there was no real danger. I put my knife in its sheath, folded my arms, and waited.

Sorry if I fail epically at this... Also, sorry it's long... I have an issue with long first posts...

Thomas

Without even considering to look behind me, I ran through the tall, witch-like trees. As I was running, a load of sharp branches scratched my body, rapidly slowing me down. Crap, crap, crap! I thought, panicking. That was it. I had to turn around.

As quickly as I could, I spun around. The guards were a few measly yards away from me. Before I had the chance to turn back towards where I was running, something seriously ironic happened. I tripped. I don't know how, but I tripped. Seconds later, I felt a sharp pain rip through my forehead. Great. I'd banged my head. Without even thinking about the pain, I shot back up.

I could hear myself breathing heavily as I struggled to stand up. I could hear the guards shouting behind me as I began running again. Somehow, they hadn't caught up with me. Quite frankly, I didn't want to know either. I just wanted to get away from the fricking idiots. Crap, crap, crap! I thought again, this time with a throbbing pain in my head.

I was about to turn back around again when I noticed a group of people a few hundred yards ahead of me. They looked like a load of pricks, but ah well, they were better than no one. Maybe I could get the guards to chase them instead? Yeah, good idea Timmy. I couldn't help but grin to myself.

It didn't take me long to reach the group of people. As I neared them, I realised that they were kids, most of them around my age, maybe younger. I first noticed some short ginger kid. Well, either that or she was a midget or something. I probably noticed her first because of her carrot orange hair.

By the time I had almost reached them, I reconsidered my idea. Okay, they looked like idiots, but getting them killed was a bit mean. By the time I had reconsidered my idea, it was too late to turn back.

"Run!" I called to them.

Every single person turned to me, their faces full of confusion. Jesus Christ... I rolled my eyes.

"Run or fricking die!" I shouted as I entered the area they were in.

Once again, they simply stared. I had no choice but to stop running for a second and explain to the losers why it was a good idea to start sprinting. Oh well, if they died, it was their fault.

Zanea

"Run or frickin die!"

Ok, so maybe there was something going on all the time. I could hear guards, we had just met Chris, and now another guy was bomboarding through past us.

We just must be either psyco or really good at making friends. I think it's the first one.

We ran. I mean, what else were we supposed to do?!

Helen

Helen was not, in general, a superstitious person. But, she had to admit that all of these people just ‘running into’ their group were more than odd. She began to wonder if there was something… well, predestined about the whole matter. However, the feeling slowly passed as they ran, trying to outrun mounted soldiers.

“Hold on kids,” she called as loudly as she could, given their frantic pace, and slowly lifted the children completely into the air. It was hard, lifting them both, but it allowed the others to run freely.

ANNAROSE

No way was I running. I was so done with running it wasn't even funny. "Nobody runs anywhere! Get the kids to the back and get your weapons out!" I demanded. They obeyed and the kids scurried to the back. Chris could explain his story later.

We spotted the guards easily. Go figure, they spotted us. We weren't exactly hard to miss. Han grabbed my arm. "You go back with the kids. You can't fight like this," he murmered.

I thought of arguing, but let's face it. He was right. I took a step back, ready to fight anyways. "You get your butt back here and fight with us!" I screached into the forest. The boy stopped and turned. He stared at me like I was a total idiot. Underestimation was not something I did well with. "I said get over here!" He shook his head and didn't approach. He didn't back up either. Close enough.

It was a full-pledged battle. I took a lunge and a guard and he fell to my feet.

Zanea

"Oh, you are DONE making us run across the whole damn country!" I yelled. I grabbed my knife and some guards face will probably never look the same. "You have no right! We're free!" with that, I stomped on his nose, making it bleed. What was it with me and faces, anyway? I shrugged and ran towards someone else.

One of the guards had snaked around the crowd and grabbed Ginny. This girl was like a little sister to me. There was no way he was taking her! I grabbed my knife and fought him on. I got his leg a pretty clean cut, and he howled in misery as he fell to the ground. I grabbed Ginny and told Helen to take care of her. Helen nodded.

GINNY

I screamed when he grabbed me. He was squeezing my arm and it hurt really bad. Zanea cut his leg and blood gushed out of it. I shrieked again. I hated blood. I hated, hated, hated it! Zanea picked me up and handed me to Helen.

I held onto her tightly and tried not to look at the fight. It was scary. Helen didn't seem to want to be around Calile and she made him float. She had powers! That was so cool! We ran into the trees with the other little kids. Were we leaving Anna behind?