9 Arabel

I woke up to the unpleasantly familiar whup whup sound of helicopter blades. It had been three days since the storm hit and just over a week since we first arrived to the orphanage. I stand up slowly and look outside the window. There is still a wall of falling snow blocking any view and even though the sound was distant and starting to die down I was sure it was a helicopter. Then a flash of red caught my eye as a laser whipped around the room through the window. A growl escaped my chest as I rushed out the door. It was probably close to five in the morning but Nathan had also rushed out of the room across from mine where he had been sleeping. His hand was poised over his gun and I wondered if he also heard the choppers or if her had heard me moving. I motioned for him to leave his gun alone, with so many children around I wasn't willing to risk it. He scowled but complied and moved his hand from his gun, clenching his fist at his side.

At the main entrance I saw more lasers entering though the windows and searching the rooms. I counted seven lasers converging on the house but knew that there could be more men out there. My fire was burning with rage at the idea of men possible hurting the children and when I looked at Nathan I knew that my anger was visible on my face. I motioned for him to stay and he once again scowled but sighed in defeat when I changed form to a snowy owl. I would be much faster and quieter in  the storm than him and he knew it.  I flew to the back of the house where Nathan opened a window for me to fly out of. The icy wind beat against me and snowflakes whipped against my feathered body. Luckily I never had to worry about getting cold.

I flew in the direction the lasers had come from and it wasn't long before I heard heartbeats so I chose the closest one to fly towards. With the amount of clothing the soldier wore, normally it would be impossible to tell their gender, but based off the scent I knew he was male. I landed softly behind him, landing on my own feet and reached a hand around him. In the blink of an eye I tore his goggles off and covered his eyes, then his body slumped against me as a startled grunt escaped his chest.

'Sleep' I whisper in my head and his chest rose and fell with a deep breath. The next five soldiers were much the same me landing silently behind them and putting them to sleep, completely unaware. When I came across a pair of men, I recognized the double bar insignia marking him as captain. There was another, taller man next to him with a lower ranking insignia. I landed on a branch behind them and watched them.

"White, come in white…" the captain said into a shortwave radio a look of concern crossing his face when there was only static on the end.

"Anyone out there?" he reached out again but still no response. He looked to the man next him.

"Some things wrong Nerd," he said to his teammate. I landed on the soft snow behind them and changed out of the owl form.

"What the hell?" Nerd cursed reaching for his gun instinctively, but I was faster as I grabbed his wrist and pushed the gun to my side just as two shots rang out and echoed into the silent world around me. I glanced at the Captain who's gun was aimed on me but who was eerily calm, even though I saw the wariness in his eyes.

"Your men are fine," I said softly, looking back to Nerd after and holding his gaze with my own, "they're just sleeping."

"Where did you come from?" the Captain finally asked and I looked at him with a frown.

"I don't think you're in any place to be asking questions Captain," I said and he visibly bristled.

"Why are you here?" I growled and he looked surprised, but not afraid.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why are you at an orphanage with guns!?" I realized my voice grew louder but his face blanched as if he didn't know. Then I heard another heartbeat coming up behind me and fast.

"I told you guys not to do anything until I returned!" came a half-snarl from a woman with wild golden eyes. When she saw me restraining the man called Nerd she lunged. In a swift movement I released him and spun on the woman, grabbing her wrist and pulled her close before taking my other hand and wrapping it around her throat before slamming into the trunk of a tree behind her. The tree shook and groaned at the impact and the woman, who's lips were curled in snarl gasped as the wind was forced out of her. For a second a look of fear crossed her eyes before being replaced with anger. In the dim rays of moonlight that escaped the heavy snow clouds I saw that she was not a normal human, she had fangs, and I chuckled as I realized just who I had encountered, a presence I hadn't felt for several hundred years.

"It appears I'm in the presence of royalty," I sneered, I still didn't know why they were here. The womans eyes widened in shock as she still struggled to regain her oxygen. She glared at me in her frustration and her hands clawed at my own, still wrapped tightly at her throat.

"You didn't answer my question Captain," I said slowly, removing my gaze from the woman and fixing it on the captain once more.

"Don't answer h-ngh," I tightened my grip on the womans throat.

"Arabel!" I groaned internally at Nathan's voice being carried in the breeze. Seconds later he appeared behind the Captain and Nerd, gun drawn.

"I heard gunshots," he said. 

"I told you to stay inside," I growled as a shiver visible wracked his body.

"Nate?" the captain finally spoke. Nathan looked to him and surprise was on his face.

"Dane? What are you doing here?" he asked, putting his firearm away. The captain looked visibly angry now, his calm facade breaking.

"What the hell do you mean what are we doing here!?" he snapped, "the entire country is looking for you!" Nathan's jaw went slack with realization.

I wanted to ask what he was referring to but before I had the chance I felt a body crash against mine and scratched at fur as snarls echoed around me. From the smell I knew two things, I was attacked by a wolf, and a guardian. After kicking the wolf off of me I crouched in the snow defensively. When the wolf turned around I was face to face with a pair of unnatural cerulean blue eyes, the only eyes that matched my own. I felt like my heart was breaking into a million pieces as I recognized the only other guardian I truly cared for, and realized that once again, I had been betrayed by the one closest to me. I saw the recognition in the wolf's eyes as we both straightened and he whimpered softly. I felt him prodding at the walls of my mind, wanting to speak.

"No," I choked. "change." He pawed at the snow and whined again but I shook my head, taking a step back. Then he looked over to the woman against the tree and gave a soft apologetic whine before the grinding of bones replaced it and in front of me stood, not a wolf, but my twin brother, who I had assumed was dead for the last millennia.

"Arabel," he whispered with a torn voice.

"What the hell just happened?" Dane yelled. But my eyes were glued to him.

"No," I choked again while taking another step back. I felt myself giving into my fire. I felt it burning throughout every vein and cell of my being. I wanted to scream and roar.

"Who are you?" it was Nathan who asked, he looked from me to him, then back to me.

"I'm her brother." He said and I felt a wave of anger surge through me. I hissed through clenched teeth and realized that steam and smoke was billowing out, but I didn't care, I wanted to burn.

"My brother is dead." I said and he looked like I punched him in the gut. I wanted to punch him in the gut.

"I can explain," he said in a defeated voice, reaching his hand out towards me and I knew what he wanted. Another wave of rage erupted through out my body and I did what I never did in the presence of human. But after everything that happened with Nathan, after all I had gone through for the last hundreds of years, I just didn't care anymore. I lunged forward and allowed my body to shift. My bones growing and elongating and I tackled him in my full phoenix form until I had him pinned in the snow, my talons wrapped around his body. The tendrils of my tail whipped around us, my wings fluttered with agitation. I lowered my head to him, holding in his wide eyes, how long had it been since he had seen me in this form? I opened my beak and let out a spine numbing screech. Then stepped backward and away from him, I felt the falling snow hitting my body and melting immediately. I felt the steam coming off the areas surrounding us, my heat, and the snow creating a dense and eerie fog. I wanted to burn. I looked to Nathan, avoiding the other eyes watching. He looked concerned and angry at the same time. I trilled and purred at him and his anger softened, then a violent wave of shivers shook his body and instantaneously I felt my own anger leave me, and replace me with exhaustion. I exhaled, another string of smoke escaping before turning towards the other watching eyes, wary of their reactions. But I did not see fear in their eyes. Dane looked oddly impressed, Nerd looked amazed, and the woman, when I met her gaze she ran up to me while reaching upwards. Realizing what she wanted I lowered my large head and pressed it to her hand, she ran her fingers through my feathers.

'You're beautiful.' I heard her voice in my head and trilled again before pulling back. I changed back and stood in front of them. I looked up to the sky and sighed.

"The storm is about to get worse and we need to wake up your men. I cannot give you rooms in the orphanage because you will scare the children but if you don't mind sleeping on the floor, the greenhouses are very warm." I looked towards the captain who seemed surprised at my offer but he nodded.

"Greenhouses would be great," he said with a tired breath that matched the way I felt. I nodded before turning into a polar bear and looking at at the woman who's name I still didn't know.

'We should gather the others first.' I reached out to her and she startled but nodded, then told the captain where we were going. I lumbered next to her, making easy work of the snow.

'So my queen, what is your name?' I ask.

'Sam. But how do you know I'm the queen?' She asked me back and I let out a bear-like laugh that she appeared to recognize.

'Oh little one, I thought, I have befriended many past kings and queens. Both of the human realm and the animal one.' She was the queen of the animal kingdom and spoke the language of the beasts. I spoke all languages because I am old. But there was once a time when everyone spoke each others languages. Then the languages split and animals and humans could no longer communicate. To keep the balance a pair is always born. With traits of the animals, hearing, smell, strength, fangs and golden eyes. They were known as the king and queen and the animals always doted on them and listened to them, no animal could disobey the king or queens command. But in turn they would listened to the animals. I glanced at her next to me and knew she had questions but I had my own. She was different from guardians yet very similar.

'Where's your king?' I asked, and she frowned.

'The animals told me he died as a child.' She said and I grunted in response. It had happened before there were generations of Kings and Queens, and some didn't make it to adulthood. When that happened the animals would recognize her "mate" as the King, but by the looks of it she hadn't found one. 

'How did you pair up with Ronan?' I mustered up the courage to ask. It was easier when I was in the form of a bear and no one could see the pain on my face.

'Who?'

'The wolf?'

'Oh you mean Bruno?' So he went by Bruno. For someone who was supposed to be dead, I suppose it made sense not to go by an old name.

'What are you two?' Sam asked ignoring my previous question but she didn't seem entirely surprised when he had changed which made me wonder if she already knew he wasn't just a wolf.

'I'll let him explain it to you.'

---

The greenhouse was well lit, well insulated, and warm. The captain and his still drowsy men began shedding their many layers as I went to a fire pit in the center of the greenhouse where I had built a patio where the children could spend time and relax. I filled the pit with logs and blew into it, the wood bursting into flames. The men eyed me warily after discovering that I was the one who put them asleep. When I straightened from the firepit and turned around I found myself face to face with Ronan again.

"We need to talk," he pleaded. I felt eyes on us but ignored them as I held my brothers gaze.

"You have been dead for the last twelve hundred years. I have nothing to say to you."

"Arabel." He choked out and once again I felt him prodding at the recesses of my mind.

'Arabel' but it wasn't his voice in my mind. 'I'm a bit disappointed Arabel, I was hoping the soldiers would do more damage.' I hissed out a breath and grabbed the back of a patio chair closing my eyes.

"Captain, how did you know Nathan was here?" I asked through clenched teeth as I heard laughing in my mind.

"We had a tip, but it said he was abducted and held against his will."

"Arabel?" this time it was Nathan's voice and it was heavy with concern. I felt his touch on my back, felt the electricity shooting through me. It was just the jolt I needed. I opened my eyes and looked at him before mustering a smile that I knew wasn't convincing. I shook my head slowly and exhaled.

"Arabel," Ronan said again, unaware of the internal battle I was fighting.

"You should talk to him," Nathan whispered softly. I glared at him and he scowled back, he pulled my arm and turned me so that I was facing him, my back to Ronan.

"You think because you don't say anything he can't see the pain in your eyes?" he said and I felt him touch the side of my cheek. I stared into his eyes and saw his own mixture of pain in them and I wondered just how much he truly saw, and whether my attempts at hiding my struggles meant anything.

Then another hand come up from behind me and touch my cheek. I felt a wave of emotions crash into me with such force my knees nearly buckled underneath me. Memories of Ronan flooded my mind and I saw him arguing with our father and shaking his head. I watched as the village guards tried to catch him I saw the spear hit his chest before he changed into a wolf and  before slipping away in the darkness of night, away from the village and into the human world. Even though he didn't let me know what the context of their argument was I could feel the underlying anger and I had a pretty good idea. But he continued and showed me how he came across a woman's body with her back bloodied and scarred and how he nurses her back to health. I realized that the woman was Sam and I could feel the intensity of his emotions towards her and realized that he had connected with the queen. But his memories only showed himself as a wolf which meant that today was the first time he had changed in front of her.

'Please sister. Let me in.' I heard his gentle voice in my mind and sighed softly. I lifted the walls I held so tightly in my mind and felt them open like floodgates that were closed for too long.