"April," the word was whispered from his lips on the wind, carried to her ears so softly. Alien to him, it almost sounded foreign on his tongue, but the girl was the same. The little girl he'd rescued only two weeks ago so changed by her life here she was now almost as mature as Alexis, should Alexis qualify as being mature. She stood a small distance away, her back turned, walking quietly from the siblings. Travin slowly let go of Alexis and stepped toward her, saying once more, "April."

He walked slowly, cautiously out of the forest, fully human, looking awkward. Walking felt odd. Alexis bolted down the stairs and ran at him, throwing herself into his arms. He held her, awkwardly, and gently.

"Alexis," he whispered, the word feeling alien on his tongue.

"Don't you ever do that again, you fucking moron!" she cried, sobbing into his chest. "Travin, I was so worried about you."

"I'm home now. It'll be fine."

Alexis ran outside. Had she heard what she thought she'd heard? Looking around her, she listened. There! Again, she heard her brother's call. She raced back inside of the house to the kitchen.

"Travin is coming home!" she cried excitedly to April and Kristina before rushing back out of the room, those two closely following her.

Travin was on his cliff with her. A woman and a wolf. She smiled at him with her full lips. "Travin, I know you're in there. I know you don't trust me and that you're staying in there to better protect your sister and her friend. But everyone needs to come out Travin."

"There are things," she continued, "things that you need to know. Someone is coming to Collinwood and they want to destroy it. Because of me. All because of me. And they will hurt your sister. She needs her brother now." She turned away from him.

"Ch-Chancer?" Travin coughed. He hadn't spoken in over two weeks. It was almost like learning to breathe again. As his fur disappeared he stood, still tall and thin, like he'd always been. But his eyes seemed older. "What have you done?"

"Oh, God, Travin," she was crying. "I made a mistake. I was lonely and I made him so I'd never be lonely again. But Travin, it was wrong! He- Oh I didn't think he'd follow me here. I just didn't think."

"Stop it! I don't think I can take you crying. You've put my sister, April and her mother all in danger! I need to go to them."

"Travin, wait!" Chancer called to him. "Before you go answer me this: What does that girl mean to you?"

His brain searched widly for the answer, but found only one, and he'd be damned if he was going to tell her that. She knew by his eyes, though, that it was love. He ran in front of her with all the speed he had, calling to Alexis on the way.

sneering at the stranger, Alexis, in her bad mood, turned away from him and went to sleep on her couch.

She stood in the meadow, walking toward the woods. And then there was Gabriel. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped her in his long cloak and took a deep breath, smelling her hair. "Alexis."

"Gabriel, Gabriel, since you and Merrique and Travin left it's been such a mess!" she cried. "I can't do anything right. And a new evil, so quickly, and strangers coming and going... I-I don't know what to do!"

"Shh, shh," he laughed. "Don't worry, Alexis. You're doing better than fine. You're doing splendidly, so strong and brave." He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "You're doing wonderfully. Positivly wonderful."

She was on a cliff. The wind was blowing, her hair tumbled around her face. "No! Gabriel? Somebody?"

"Alexis?"

She whipped around. "Travin? Travin is that you?"

"Alexis, I'm so lost..."

"Travin, Travin!" she shouted. "Travin, I'm here, brother, I'm here!"

"I miss the sound of your voice," Travin's voice whispered on the wind. "Alexis I'm so lost."

"I'm here, brother. I'll guide you home, please come home to us," she said.

"I love you Alex."

"I love you, too, Travin."

OOC- We need either another posting session or a mail converstation to get this moving a little quicker.

Alexis glared darkly at him from under her white and violet eyebrows. "My name is Alexis Collins. Do not forget it again. This isn't some cheerful slumber party. I feel it would be unwise to let you out of my sight, especially when I don't know or trust you. Not to mention if the power did go out- and sometimes it does, even our backup generator- I think Kristina and April would feel better if they weren't alone in a sometimes haunted mansion."

The thunder rumbled across the sky and the white lightening cracked it into peices. Alexis paused for a moment, her face softening into an expression of worry. Travin was out there, in that mess, dead or hurt for all she knew. Her big brother.

Alexis shut the library doors once they were gathered. "We Have a BIG Problem, girls. I heard a guy talking about Collinwood while we were in town. He wants it destroyed and he's using those stupid petty people to do it, too. Something about Chancer, pissing him off- I was really too worried to listen."

She flung her arms at the fire place, starting a roaring fire, releasing some of the anger. "I can't believe someone would do this to us!"

Didn't I have guy named Noble on Cape Silver? I like the way it sounds. No - ble. Cool word.

Some more things, this is late Wednesday evening.

The sky was darkening with an oncoming thunderstorm as she sped along on her way home. As soon as she pulled in front of the house Alexis was screaming for Kristina and April. She found April in the garden, doing more work for her mother while Kristina cooked dinner.

"Come on," she called. "We need to have an urgent meeting! Trouble is coming!"

The only place close enough for the wolves to retreat from the oncoming storm was the cave. Safe, dry, warm. Chancer changed back into human form and began to build a fire. Travin's mind swarmed with images.

Alexis hated shopping in the village. People whispered about her, thinking she couldn't hear them. They knew where she was from. How could they not? That hair, those eyes. Those ears. How could people hate so blindly what they do not know? She glared at the nervous cashier as she took her bag of groceries and left the store. Before she could jump into her old, beat-up volkswagon bug, her ears picked up on something that she didn't want to hear.

The young man standing on the podium wasn't very tall, and he wasn't very old. Twenty, at the most. His hair was so blond it was almost white, his skin just as pale, and his eyes a vibrant green. He was angry, waving his wide-palmed hands and shouting to a gathered crowd.

"The Collinses must be stopped!" He cried. "Think of everything they've done to you poor people. Getting you mixed up in wizardry, spells and witchcraft! They are evil, I tell you! And the most evil of all is residing there as we speak. Ages ago there was a daughter Collins, Chancer, and she was the 'caretaker' of the house. The thing is, all these years later she is still alive! She must be over a hundred years old and she looks no older than fifteen. She is not only a wolf, but a vampire as well! Do you want vampires roaming the woods, stalking your children!"

"NO!" cried the angered villagers.

"My friends, it was her who placed the curse of immortality on me. It is she who will die, and I soon after. Help me, help me take my vengance!"

One woman called out, "If you're a vampire, how do we know we can trust you! What if you feast on us, instead!"

The man was good at acting. He made his face so pitifully sad that Alexis almost fell for his act. "My friends, I only feast on rabbits, and little animals. I am so weak my body could not sustain anything stronger, such as the robust blood of a human. The only human-eater around here is at Collinwood Hall. Please, Please help me."

The crowd cheered like mad. Finally, an end to the castle they so hated. And a leader who could do it! Alexis cursed, jumped into her bug and sped away.

Evander hid his chuckles until he had stepped down from the podium. They'd fallen for every word of it. Stupid people. So very easy to manipulate. He'd sensed the faerie's presence. The attack would come, if all went well, Sunday. Because the people would think of it as a holy cleansing.

He was getting hungry and he needed to feed. He hadn't fed in a few hours and he knew his power was weakening. The power to appear human to the simple people. He chuckled under his breath.

"Excuse me," a breathy female voice said interrupting his corrupt thoughts. "I was wondering, sir, if you'd care to have dinner with me."

One of the villagers, he noted. A young girl, maybe nineteen? Yes, she would do nicely. "I think I'd very much like to have you for dinner."

Alexis told Kristina whatever she wanted to do was fine. The garden would probably keep getting battered but repairing it would be fine. She gladly took her drink and thanked Kristina whole-heartedly. She appologized for being so tense, but Chancer got on her nerves.

"She's a really distant Cousin from us," Alex said. She smiled at April. "I've forgotten how we're even really related. All I know is she's trouble. Not to mention a threat to us because she's technically the rightful owner. But Travin was named caretaker at birth, legally. Still, it rarely stops blood."

Hey- fast forward through the rest of the day till evening?

IC - Kristina went from uncomfortable to extremely embarrassed and almost tripped on the wolf leaving the room. She had forgotten how common mind-reading was here at Collinwood Hall! She would avoid this woman until she could get Alexis to help her shield her mind - if that was possible!
   April knew better than to open her thoughts, but now had no problem disliking this newcomer. "Alex, would it be alright if I took the wolf to the kitchen and fed him some of that chicken we had last night?" At Alex's nod, April turned to Chancer and bade her goodbye. "Nice meeting you!" she lied convincingly.
In the kitchen she found her Mother cleaning counters that were already clean. "Mom, it's OK! You couldn't have known she was telepathic, but you'll need to be careful what you think about her from now on! She DID look like a china-doll!"
   "It was humiliating actually, I don't want to see her again."
   "I don't know if that'll be possible, but maybe we can practice you up on mind-shielding."
   Kristina blushed again. "I am just transparent aren't I?"
   "Yep, but we'll work on it!"
   Kristina now noticed the wolf which slipped between April and the wall as if he wanted to be wedged close to her. "April, I thought we told you that you weren't to approach that wolf without Alexis being present?"
   "S'OK Mom, Alex told me I could feed him! We had a ton of that chicken left last night! See?" she said as she pulled a large chicken leg from the refrigerator and set it on the floor.
   The wolf immediately advanced and snatched it off the floor and then moved to the far end of the kitchen where he began to strip the bone of it's meat.
   "Please don't do that again unless Alexis is here! You don't know how a wild animal is going to react!"
   April rolled her eyes, shook her head, and sighed.
   "You're not all better yet are you?" her Mother asked suspiciously. "Your wolf can take care of himself - you get back upstairs and get back in bed - now!"
   "K'Mom" April sighed as she trudged towards the stairs.
   Kristina followed, made sure April was in bed, and then entered her own room, closing the adjoining door.
   April heard the slightest creak of her door. "Hey pup! Whatcha doing up here?! Come on around this side of the bed if you don't want my Mom to see you!"
   The wolf clearly understood and laid down on the small oval rug on the far side of April's bed.
   April reached down and scratched the wolf's ears. "We'll see if I can find you a place to sleep tomorrow!" she said as she gave him one last rub and rolled over to sleep. She smiled as he answered with a soft whine. "Yeah, Travin's in there somewhere!" she thought to herself.

Hey, where'd my darcywolf.net go? It won't let me on.

April burst into the room, Kristina not far behind. Chancer turned to smile at them. April couldn't shake a very bad feeling. Something about Chancer made her skin crawl. Travin, sensing her fear, silently walked to her and nudged her hand with his nose. She got down on one knee and slowly stroked his crimson fur.

"April, Kristina, this is our cousin Chancer. We didn't know she'd be arriving," Alexis told them. She looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth.

"Pleased to meet you," Chancer said politely. "Well it seems there is someone this wolf likes after all."

"We came down to see if there was anything you needed, Alexis." Kristina didn't like Chancer. She... she looked too flawless. Her skin was like porcelin, no blemish or marks except for a sprinkle of pale freckles across her nose.

"A gift from my mother," said Chancer.

Hey, April, make a little bed for Travin outside of her door with a blanket, unless of course you want him in April's room... but that might not be appropriate. Okay? Make April talk to him as well. And Kristina, send April to bed! Your daughter is still unwell isn't she (not much just a little). So send her off to bed! (Travin follows?)

Alexis and Travin/wolf were in the library when Chancer returned. Travin snarled a little.

"It seems my brother doesn't like you very much," said Alex.

"And why should he? Wolves are very territorial creatures and I'm intruding uninvited into his territory. But I'm just a relative looking for a little family time. I don't have any other family but you," she replied sincerely.

"You know, Chancer? The other remaining Collins on the planet? I believe you often refer to me as that other relative with more claim here than you, and you'd be right," Chancer said. "Still, I'm not here to take Collinwood from you. I'm here to visit for a little while."

Travin didn't like her. She looked no older than April, yet she had a certain age about her. She smiled and he understood what Alexis so clearly was not getting. Legally, Chancer had no claim to Collinwood because she should legally be dead.

Well, Cousin Travin, it seems that you have figured out my secret. But there's something else you haven't figured out- I'm also a wolf. Chancer laughed.

A Vampire! In HIS HOUSE! But there wasn't really anything he could do about it. He didn't think he could change back, nor would he want to. Chancer was talking again, this time outloud.

"I'll take him 'round to the stables myself. No offense, he just doesn't like strangers."

"Neither do we."

Alexis beckoned to the wolf and went inside. Finally, thought Travin. I'm getting inside. He looked up with his bright wolfen eyes and saw April in the window. He tried to plead with her with his eyes, tell her he needed her to be his friend, but he didn't seem to get a response. He padded softly inside behind his sister.

OOC- What I'm thinking the jealousy thing, Chancer will be the only one to bring Travin back to the real world. You know, cause she's a lady wolf. And that will p-ss April off really badly. You know? But all the while it's really April bringing him back because he's liking her, although he likes how Chancer understands. The bad guy in this plot is a villager, campaigning to be rid of the mansion and all it stands for. Secretly he's something, not a wizard, maybe a vamp who Chancer has ticked off coming in for vengence but the villagers don't know this.

IC - The days zoomed by and April frequently saw "her wolf" (as she thought of him) roaming the estate, but she had been told by all three adults that she was not to approach him. She imagined Travin to be bottled up inside it's spirit and empathized deeply with his soulful evening howls as she watched him through her open window. She yearned for Travin's return as a human! Travin was not too many years her senior and after all, her birthday was next week! But such dreams of romance were dashed by reality. Travin was not to be found and she could not hear him telepathically within the wolf, and so it seemed as though she might never connect with him again.

"Honey, you should be getting to bed. What are you doing over there?" April's Mother said as she joined April at the window.
"Just listening to the night, Mom." April replied distantly.
Kristina could see what looked like two glowing coals out on the grounds and sighed. "April, it's not him!"
"I know Mom, but I can't help but feel Travin is connected to that wolf in some way. But don't worry, I haven't gone anywhere near him.
"He frightens me!"
"That's because you don't know him the way I do Mom. I've been writing to him for a long time. He's a wonderful soul and he makes me feel safer than I've ever felt with anyone!
"It's NOT him April!"
"I can't explain what I'm sensing, but we can talk about it later Mom. Come on, let's go to bed. I love you Mom! " April said. With a last glance into the wolf's fiery eyes, she turned to retire for the night.

I'm going to go ahead and post a week later. For this plotline, April (who I thought had a crush on Travin) may eventually need to get a little jealous. Okay? Just because This involves a bit of love... Still, she's not too young, is she? ::shrug:: 15 and 20-ish isn't too bad.

Here we go:

He prowled around the front of the house. He had his orders. Protect that girl! A week since the full moon and they still had not admitted him inside. House is not appropriate for wild animals. The girl was inside. How was he to protect someone he could not see? When she did come outside though, she was not allowed near him. After all, he was a "wild animal". A wolf was still a wolf. Her eyes showed hurt and sadness hung in a thick veil around her when she looked at him. Same with the Fairy. The Elf- the elf was disappointed in him and the Mother, well who knows what the Mother thinks. He felt almost human looking at them. You are human, something told him. You are human, you're name is Travin and you're a wolf. That was only his own inner voice, though. It had been speaking to him for quite some time. He only needed to listen.

A noise from the drive startled him.

She rode a great horse, sitting tall and regal like a queen. Her hair curled in black ringlets around her pale face. Her eyes were blue with a faint trace of gold round the edges. She smiled at the castle, shadowed by the setting sun, and whispered, "I'm back."

The wolf growled. She smelled of wolf, and something else. Something he could not place, which was unusual. She noticed him and smiled again. "Cousin Travin, I'd know you anywhere."

"He doesn't speak," Alexis said, appearing from around the house. "He.. he's a wolf. There isn't anything human there anymore."

"Seems tame for a wolf." She sighed. "However, humans can be more violent than the cruelest of wolf, so maybe we should be glad he's not human."

"Who are you?" Alexis demanded.

"Oh, dear Alexis, don't you know? No, you wouldn't. I haven't been here since you were a baby. I'm your Cousin, Chancer."

IC - When all had left the room except her Mom, April became teary eyed. In only a few short days, her view of the world had expanded beyond anything she could have imagined and in the most terrifying of conditions, she had been a pillar of strength and surprised herself with her bravery and abilities. She had stood directly against the extremely powerful wizard Trock and faced almost certain death and yet was still alive - alive thanks to her friends. She couldn't explain it, but April felt an inexplicable bond to Alexis and her brother Travin - like she was meant to be here for some reason. She smiled brightly at her Mom who now gave her a careful hug. April winced in preparation for the pain, but it never came! Merrique was as good as her word! April relaxed in her Mother's arms and released her overdue emotions. She took a long deep stuttered breath and then wondered silently, wondered sadly, what had become of Travin.

Thanks so much for everything.

I like this Collinwood better, I think. There isn't as much confusion in this one.

You have a great soul, too, sista.

I think I've done all the damage I can for now. I'll try to be on around nine-nine thirty. I'll be under an unusual name I think. Okies?

Merrique took April's hand and let her powers do what they could.

Gabriel took Alexis gently by the arm and led her out of the room, out of the house, where the sun was now coming over the horizon.

"It's so beautiful," whispered Alex. He nodded.

"As are you," came his soft reply. "Alexis, you did wonderfully last night. I'm sure Lucas would've been proud."

Her breath caught in her chest. "How did you know about Lucas?"

"Alexis, you summoned me. That's how I know." He paused. "I'm leaving. For now my duty is done here. But I must tell you this, you will love so many times for you are young, and every time you lose a love it will hurt like nothing you could ever imagine." He turned to face her, putting his hands on her upper arms. "That is what love is. You loved Lucas, you love your brother. In time, the wounds caused by that love will heal. Believe me, every broken heart can love again."

He kissed her gently on her cheek and stepped down the stairs, disappearing as he went. She sat down on the cold hard stone, feeling it's reality, and wept bitter tears.

IC - April felt a lightness to her heart - like she had just looked into the eyes of an angel! She was breathless, her mouth half opened as she gulped the air. She looked back to see her Mom slowly coming up from behind and then turned to approach Travin. Alexis was steps ahead of her. April's heart prayed for Alexis, prayed that Travin would still have life in him.

IC - April sprinted down the promontory towards the spot where Trock had collapsed. She knew that if Trock wasn't dead he could still extinguish her small life, but that was a minor right now. Trock was terribly close to the spot she'd last seen Travin! April didn't have a clue how she could help with the tons of timber that Travin must be under, but she was going to try! As she climbed up on the closest of the huge fallen trees, she changed her mind and tried to outrun the shower of branches headed outward from her former destination!

OOOOOOOO WAS HE HOT WAS HE HOT? How about nice? Settle for nice! HEY- Go see What a Girl Wants. Colin Firth in leather pants mmmmmmmmmm not to mention Amanda Bynes love interest is mmmmmmmmmmm.

Travin's hand let go of Trock's ankle. For the brief moment it took to distract Trock Travin had been in human form but his strength was supernatural. He didn't let go until Trock's ankle had snapped and Trock had fallen from Alexis's power. But then, he was wolf once more and unconsious as he was still crushed under a giant tree and hurt from it's fall. Bones had been broken and blood had been spilled. But to this wolf all was blackness.

IC - As the trees came crashing down, April and Kristina huddled behind the small rock. The rock would not be enough protection from the ancient giants that were coming down all around them. Suddenly they felt a strange feeling as everything around them blurred. They weren't dead, they were - somewhere else, somewhere just out of the range of the deadly timber.

How had they gotten here?! They were higher up now and from their new vantage point they could see Merrique and Alex nimbly dodging and hopping from tree to tree. And then it was over. Now they could see Gabriel as well. What were the three of them doing and where was Travin? April spotted Trock.

Trock looked directly into April's eyes with a terrible sneer and then he began rising out of the debris, hovering just over the timber and drifting towards her!

Suddenly he sunk a few feet and screamed out in pain! Something or someone had grabbed an ankle and was crushing his flesh into his bones!

Now multiple beams of colorful energy came at him and he was unable to react so great was the pain in his ankle. Trock felt intense pain in his head and chest and then everything went blank. The grip on his ankle was released, but Trock was either unconscious or dead and was totally unaware of his freedom.

The wolf growled. Trees falling in every direction. What to do? What to do? He could do nothing as one of the trees crushed him under it's falling weight.

"Travin!" screamed Alexis. She and Merrique jumped on top of the falling trees and rode them like a wave, as one fell they would jump to another and another until they were on the top layer of fallen wood, safe. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

No time for that now, Gabriel's voice roared in her head. He wanted them saved!

Gabriel had managed to work a little magic and teleport the two women to a safer spot a few yards away.

Alexis let her emotions control her. She felt the rage, the hurt, the ange all bubbling inside her heart like a boiling kettle. She flung her two cupped hands to the sky in a pose that a sorceress might have taken. Tilting her head back she called for all the power she could. Merrique and Gabriel joined in the calling and all at once they flung their power at Trock.

IC - Had there been one or even two powerful foes, Trock's abilities and ego would have gotten him through the worst of battles! But here were at least three opponents or more and it was possible that he was now mortally wounded. A blast of cold now hit him that sapped even more of his energy and will. Trock slumped and then suddenly with a burst of determination and pride, he swept his arm in an arc and instantly there were terrible rending noises as forty trees - every tree in the path of his spell -came crashing towards him. If his adversaries had not all been crushed, he might still make his escape in the confusion!

The wolf pummeled the warlock and went for it's throat. He managed to rip open it's stomach, his teeth snapping in terrible rage. The blood of this thing did not taste good, which threw the wolf off balance. He heard the Fae scream. Distracted by it, the wolf turned his head only to be knocked over and wrestled with by the warlock, who was pushing with power on the wolf's mind.

Alexis nimbly avoided the fireball that was sent in her direction with a tremendous leap. Her strength came from her fear and her need to survive. Gabriel disappeared and reappeared beside April. The fireball sent at him caught a nearby tree on fire. He sent a cool blast of liquid to stop the fires before the whole forest was ablaze. Merrique rushed at Trock, but her feet were knocked from under her with the force of the wolf and the warlock. Alexis squinted her eyes, the eyes, which were each a different colour (purple and white, like her hair) turned pink all over and glowed as she blasted Trock with all the ice she could muster.

IC - April seized the moment to pull her Mom out of harm's way and as she looked back from the cover of boulders, her heart leapt at the sight of Alex, Merrique, and Gabriel - all looking most formidable!

Trock had just suffered the indignity of having his own blast knock him on his butt and now he had been hit from behind by Alexis with a blast that chilled him deeply! Without missing a beat, Trock hurled three huge balls of blue fire towards Alexis, Merrique, and Gabriel! Trock was unable to see if his fiery blasts had hit their targets as he was jarred "to the bones" by a terrific physical force!

The Elves and the Faery stood there, watching, trying to help. Alexis, the Faery, was the one to "break the ice" and toss her first blast. Merrique was in ready stance, for hand to hand or a power battle. Gabriel stood back, a knowing look on his face, his cloak draped around his body to hide and hint of movement from him.

The wolf ran with a faster speed than any animal before him. He followed their scents, the scent of the girl, the woman, the faery and the elves. The odor of the horrible thing that took the girl. Following them all he ran like a blood bullet. Only when he reached them did he slow and stalk in front of the Faery to protect her. He glared at the evil warlock-wizard thing before him, baring his teeth and growling quietly. This thing needed to die.

Swift pains came like thrusts of a dagger into his stomach. Why was she making this one change so painful? He moaned. Gabriel pulled the girls away as he fell to his knees in the change. Gabriel knelt next to him, putting his hand on Travin's shoulder. Travin looked at him with hopelessly wolf-like eyes.

"Find April. I'll catch up," he managed. "Go!"

Gabriel nodded. He ushered the two girls out the door. "Merrique!" he ordered. "Merrique! Go get Kristina, hurry!"

With light feet and quick speed she rushed up the stairs to the woman's room. Alexis was sobbing. "Oh what's happening to everyone?"

Gabriel gathered her up in his arms. "Shh, pull yourself together, Alexis. We need you."

Merrique rushed down the stairs. "GABRIEL! She's not there! She's gone!"

"Stupid woman," he muttered before he could control himself. "Come then, there is not time to waste!"

Travin herded them into the library and pulled out a map of Collinwood Hall with frightening speed. He laid it out on the old desk (which had once belonged to Amnichola Fitzwilliam and Lady Margaret's father). He pointed to the spot where the well was. "This is it, where I found her!"