Foggy Forest

  Three hunters are trying to pass my barrier. They start firing at the trees, and the barrier is starting to crack. I touch the leaves around me, and they come to life. Long vines grow and at the end of each one is a leaf. The vines circle around the hunters, they tighten up and the hunters loose any opportunity to move. I take out a peace of cloth from my bag, the cloth is soft and black. I blow on the small peace and it grows into a beautiful cocktail dress, it starts floating to me and when it touches me the comfortable suit I was wearing disappears changed by the dress. I stand up on the branch and get flowing water to get me down elegantly. The surface of the water where my foot stands changes into ice. The hunters raise their heads up.

- So..why are you three here?- I say with a soft voice even though on the inside I am furious.

- We...we are here on a mission.- I look at the hunters and notice that their heads are surrounded by a blue light which only I can see.

- What is your mission?

- To find Amber White and get her to Drake and Blaze Inigo.

- Is that all?

- No,- starts another one- they also gave us a message to someone named Matthew. - I snap my fingers and the vines start searching for the mail in the hunters' pockets.

  One vine moves back to me and holds a small envelope. I snap my fingers again and the hunters immediately fall asleep. I carefully take the envelope, and as soon as I do the vines start becoming shorter until they don't exist anymore, only the leaves on the trees are slightly different. I let the trees bend apart and Leon comes out. He looks at me with a weird look. I realize that he isn't used to seeing me with a dress. A snap of my fingers changes the dress back into a suit.

- Who were they Amber?

- Some people with a mission. They were here for a reason. I will have to leave the forest.

- But they might come again!

- They came here for a reason. They came here because I was here.

- What is this paper that you are holding?

- Um... it's nothing....I have to go now....- I jump and shift into a white eagle.

- Hey! Amber tell me for who it was!!!

  I start considering if I should tell him or not and decide to tell Leon after all. I start flying towards him again. Just as I was about to touch the ground I change into my self again. I sit cross legged on the grass.

- Let's go inside the forest.- Leon nods and starts walking to the territory of the forest.

  As soon as we pass the magical barrier the atmosphere changes. Panic is filling the air. I look around, wolfs with wounds are laying on the ground. Even the blowing of the wind seems different. I gather the energy from around and heal all the injured wolfs at the same time. I start falling but before I hit the ground Leon holds me up by his side. He looks at me worriedly, but I just shake my head. I show Leon with my eyes to the woods signaling him that we need to talk in private. He starts walking slowly since I am still leaning onto him for support. Ten minutes later we stop and I carefully sit down.

- You should take care of yourself more.- says Leon accusingly but I can feel his worry.

- It's alright. I will be fine in less than an hour.- he looks at me with disbelief but lets this go.

- So, for who is the letter?

- The people said that it is for Matthew. But I want to read it first. Also, I know that it is weird seeing me as a human but I don't have enough power to shift even into a butterfly.

- It's ok. But why don't you want to give the letter to Matthew? By the laws of the forest Matthew is almost like the ruler of the place, so he should know.

- I know...but I am sure that my guardians want him to give me out, but knowing Matthew he will fight,and you saw what happened today.

- How can they be your guardians if they are such bad people?!- huffs Leon angrily.

- They aren't bad people. They are just worried about my brother....I went to him....he really looks like a zombie.....but you know that I am happy here. I don't want to leave the forest, but at the same time I know that if I won't, they will be attacking the forest now that they found out I am here.

- You didn't go to Bungala?!? You went to the city?! Out there?! Ok.. open the letter.- Leon says with shock in his beautiful golden eyes. I slowly open the letter and start reading out loud for Leon.

- "Well, hello, Matthew. We know that you are hiding Amber in the Foggy Forest. This is the only time you will get a chance to give her to us or we will burn down each tree until we find her. We can feel her energy so it is stupid to try hiding her from us. If she doesn't appear on the border of the forest in three days we will make your worst nightmares come true. Good luck with deciding.

Twins Inigo))"- The neat handwriting of Blaze says. I can't believe that they are trying to threaten Matthew!

- How dare they?! We will fight! We won't give you up! I won't let you go to them Amber!

- Keep your voice down, please. First of all, I am not planning to go to them.- Leon nods apologizing.

- You aren't?- he says with distrust. I shake my head.

- Second of all, you won't tell about this- I nod at the letter in my hand- to anyone. - Leon jumps up, but I shake my head again.

- And finally, I will need your help. Wait me at the dark lake I will be there as soon as I can.- I say already turning into a panther and running away before Leon can answer me.

  I am running and feel the wind going through my fur. I love shifting into a panther, the speed and the adrenaline from it hit my brain and don't let any thoughts go to my brain. As much as I want to complete running around the forest I have to go back to the border and solve the problems. I see Matthew walking around checking how everything is going. I turn into myself for a second and hide the letter in my pocket. I walk up to Matthew.

- How is it going?- I say softly but because I caught him off guard he turns around quickly ready to attack.

- Oh, it's you? Sorry I was worried and didn't recognize your voice.  It's fine, only the barrier has a few cracks and we don't know what to do with the humans.

- Well, here I am to solve your problems.

- No, I won't let you. My wolfs already told me that you healed all of them at once, they said that you were falling from lack of energy.- Matthew says in a voice that means that the discussion of this has ended. But I wouldn't be me if I would stop so easily.

- Mat you know that I was using the energy of the nature to help. I know you are worried that it affects me this way but any nimph would do the same on my place. I will use the energy of the nature to close the cracks in the barrier. I won't use my energy I promise.

- This is why nimphs are meant to come with guardians, they change the nature's energy into the one that doesn't harm you.- I flinch at the mention of the twins but try to control it. He shouldn't know that it is their fault or he will be completely furious.

- It's alright I don't use the energy too often. To add I am learning how to convert the energy into the needed one by myself.

- But you know that there hasn't been even one nimph that has lived more than 20 years without guardians.

- This is out of discussion Matthew, I am going to close the cracks in the barrier either you want this or not!- I say harshly.

- Ok, you are the leader here after all.- says Matthew in an upset voice and presses his ears to his skull.

- I am sorry, I didn't mean it like this. Matthew, please stay with me, I don't know what got into me.

- You read about what happens to nimphs without guardians right? I know you did. You know how it affects the creatures around.