The Prisoner

[Quinn]

Quinn shook her head. "I didn't tell her about last night. Well, not much. I just said that you'd been hanging around the hunter's sister, and that you might be involved with her."

[Korbel]

Korbel groaned. "Great," said Korbel. "Now she's going to be angry with me." He punched the cave wall angrily and brought blood to his knuckles.

[Kris Lupin]

dawn said:

Dawn listened to what Korbel had to say, then frowned as he walked away angrily. "He has a bad temper sometimes," she said to Ashura. "I will try to calm him down later. I don't think Quinn will help. Her temper is even worse." She tilted her head and looked at Ashura. "Is that true? Your brother killed Buck?" Her voice was not harsh or accusing, just quiet and curious.

"Yes, but I think he had turned me in to a werewolf so I think my brother had a right to kill him." Ashura wished she had a way to warn Sully. "Gretchen is using me to get to my brother so she can kill him."

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn looked at her for a moment, her eyes suddenly becoming glazed and far away. "Buck... turned you?" she said. "He turned me... I don't remember..." She closed her eyes and saw flashes... moonlight... teeth... fur... blood... and through it all she could hear screaming... so loud it seemed like it came from two people... Dawn sank down to her knees, shaking.

[Kris Lupin]

Ashura watched the girl, she would have moved to help her but she couldn't. She looked at the cave where Korbel had gone to. Her eyes and gaze turned from hurt and sadness to anger, if she hadn't met him she wouldn't be here. It was his fault she was there, if he hadn't trusted Quinn, if she hadn't let herself get feelings for him.

[Dawn Meade]

After a few moments, Dawn stood up. Her eyes were clear and she smiled benignly at Ashura as if nothing had ever happened. "It is wrong of Gretchen to keep you here, tied up, because of your brother," she said. "I could talk to her if you want. Of course, she won't listen to me, because she thinks I am fragile. Do you have a pack?"

[Kris Lupin]

"Yes." Ashura said her voice soft and low, her face and eyes softened as she looked at Dawn.

[Dawn Meade]

"Then you must go back to them. When one pack kidnaps a member of another pack against their will, that's as good as starting a pack war," said Dawn. "We can't have a pack war. Who is your pack leader? Where can we find him?"

[Kris Lupin]

"Zander is the leader and... and he works at the Hogs Head in the town but he might be at Pearl's house in the villiage." Ashura wasn't sure where he would be, she sighed and looked at the ground. "But I'm not sure where he would be."

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn listened. "Zander," she repeated. "I have heard of this Zander. His pack defeated Fenrir Greyback's pack in a battle. He's the reason we came here. We definitely can't fight them. What are some of the other pack members' names?" She wondered silently whether she would be able to slip away long enough to find them.

[Kris Lupin]

Ashura thought about the members. "There's Chloe, Skye... Karl and Pearl, she's Zander's mate and that's all I remember." Ashura wanted to hold onto her locket like she was in the habbit of doing.

[Dawn Meade]

"I will try to find them," said Dawn. "I am not very good in towns... and they do not let me out of their sight for very long. I have... headaches..." She looked sad. "One time I was with Quinn and Korbel in a bar and this guy was bothering me and it made my head hurt...." For a moment, she felt another flash and she held on to the tree for support. "But you need help. What Gretchen and Quinn and Korbel are doing... it's wrong. I want to help. Everyone is always taking care of me... I need to help some one else for a change. Before I go, do you want something to eat? You must be hungry. I'm always starving after a full moon."

[Kris Lupin]

Ashura shook her head, she needed to eat but she didn't feel like having someone feed her. "Korbel wasn't the one who told where I lived or who I was... but I was stupid to let him know where I lived all the same." She now felt that it was her fault her brother was going to be killed. "I hate him." Though she said the words tears filled her eyes.

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn frowned. She felt bad for the girl. "I am sorry. You liked Korbel, didn't you? He can be very charming when he wants to be. He says he doesn't want to be soft, but deep inside, he has a good heart. Only... it belongs to Quinn." Dawn wiped a tear from the girl's cheek. Something about the movement reminded her of something from long ago. Suddenly, Ashura seemed so familiar, like she'd seen her before in another life. "Do.... I know you?" she whispered.

[Kris Lupin]

"I don't think so..." Ashura looked at her, she did seem familier but it was like a distant dream or perhaps memory.

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn kept looking at Ashura. She felt like there was something at the very edge of her memory, within sight but she couldn't quite reach it. She was concentrating very hard and it made her head hurt again. She squeezed her eyes shut and put her hands on her head. "I feel like... there's something I need to remember, but it hurts..." she whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. She sat down on the ground in front of Ashura and put her head in her hands.

[Kris Lupin]

"I try not to think too hard on a memory, I let them come to me, though I rarely get memories." Ashura said feeling that she needed to say something she also felt that she needed to hug her or something to comfort her.

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn looked up at her sadly. "Sometimes the flashes come even when I'm not trying to think too hard... and it still makes my head hurt. It's like something in me doesn't want to remember." She brushed away the tears. "My head feels better already. But I should go before someone sees me leaving. I will be back soon, OK?" She stood up, but wobbled slightly on her feet.

[Kris Lupin]

Ashura smiled slightly. "I hope they'll trust you." She said. "Please... be careful." She didn't want anyone to get hurt, at least not this girl.

[Dawn Meade]

Dawn nodded. "I will." She smiled at the girl. She felt strangely comfortable with Ashura, like she was already a friend. It was different from the kind of friendship she had with the rest of the pack. They were always treating her like a child, someone they needed to protect. She felt like Ashura saw her as she really was. "I hope Gretchen doesn't hurt you while I'm gone. Please be brave. It's going to be OK." She looked around to make sure no one was watching her, then she turned and headed back toward the river.