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Morrigan had reached the lake. Her head was spinning a bit from all the excitement, and that is why she did not notice her charge begin to stir.

The gargoyle walked along the side of the lake, trying to find a decent place to hide her. No sense leaving her out in the open, if those humans came around again...Morrigan doubt she would do as well against them a second time.

But with a twitch of her green ears, she heard noises coming from the supposedly unconcious child. She stared down for a moment, her brown eyes discerning that the child awake. There was blood on her as well. Morrigan wasn't sure if it was hers or the human's.

She couldn't understand the words, but saw the child expressing concern. Perhaps she was frightened of her? No, it wasn't that. Maybe she was worried about the humans? That would make much more sense.

Morrigan took a few more steps, and gave another heavy breath. She was exhausted from all the fighting she had had to do. Going any further might end up badly. Here was as good as anywhere else.

Morrigan slowly knelt down to the ground, the girl still in her arms. She just needed a breather...yes, a breather. Morrigan set the child down on the ground next her, trying to regain her bearing.

A break in the everlasting trees revealed a small clearing, and with it, a blessed whisper of a breeze. Perhaps now Dwenna would find luck in her favor…not that she believed in such things. The idea was laughable and quickly pushed aside as she stretched her wings until she felt them strain and launched from her run mid-stride, silently thanking the currents that had seemed to snub her when she’d needed them earlier.

“I hope they were able to escape safely,” she murmured, brow furrowed in concern. She headed towards the lake, a logical decision with the fire. Between how the other gargoyle had not spoken and the ferocity of her charge at the humans, Dwenna had little reason to believe the outsider would take Ariana near other humans unless she knew she would not be seen. But that was highly unlikely, as she herself wouldn’t do that, with the way the group had chased the poor girl down.

It was quiet as she neared the quiet blue-black water, eyes searching for any sign of the others she had met this unfortunate night.

Morrigan tiredly closed her eyes for what seemed like a moment, but opened them as she felt something wet enclose the stinging scratches from earlier.

The gargoyle had half a mind to swat at whatever was touching her, but a half moment's pause made her realize it was the girl. And the way she was wrapping the strips of cloth around her wounds was in the manner of binding them.

The human made some sound-noises, then continued on her task.

How can this be? Why is a human trying to help me? This is beyond strange.

The gargoyle's mind couldn't fathom the concept. Had she been not so exhausted she might have backpedaled away or ran, but she finally decided she would simply keep an eye on her.

Now girl was making some kind of animal noise, now becoming more and more familiar to Morrigan due to her 'condition.' Whatever it was it made her feel slightly calmer.

When she was finished, the gargoyle looked at the bindings. They were tight and well tied. The human had been taught some form of medicine.

But Morrigan didn't dwell on it further, when suddenly the girl suddenly made a string of loud, yelling noises. Morrigan hissed, her wings flapping in surprise at the sudden noise.

What is she doing? She'll attract those humans!!

Morrigan stepped forward, grabbing the child's shoulder. She bared her teeth to show her agitation the best she could, and shook her head to signify 'no'.

"You're friend is in there, she could be in trouble," Ariana replied her eyes still shimmering with tears. But she understood, the bad men could be near by and she knew that her guardian angel was not fit to fight. She had to protect from them. She bit her lower lip and sat back down near the green gargoyle. She made the noise again as she curled up close to her savior, her little mind racing yet again with thoughts, but this time she was thinking, she had to return the favor to her guardian. She sighed her eyes gazing at the smoke rising in the sky. Please be safe, guardian angel... she thought softly.

~*~

"Erm... the forest sir, it's burning..." The bandit said, his tone and attitude quickly changing that into fear. He shrank back as the owner of the voice came closer and the light from both the moon and the fire from the forest shown his rugged look. He was middle aged or slightly older but one could not tell because he was fit and strong looking.

"I can see that, Grouger..." The man said gruffly his dark eyes searching the bandit over then looking at the young man with him. "Where's the girl?" He then demanded. "Where is Ariana?"

Even though it was dark, all color from the bandit's face vanished in a flash. He swallowed shakily and held up the amulet to the old man who quickly took it and looked at it carefully, figering it then tenderly, the harden face softening, but his eyes remained hard. "How..."

"The winged demons sir, they...er..um...attacked the girl before we could get to her...we tried to fight them off...but uh....um....our torches caught the forest on fire.....she's gone...my-" The bandit let out a gargling screech before falling dead a bone colored hilt lodged in the bandit's throat. The old man lowered his hand again and looked back at the other man. "Let's go..." he muttered turning his back on him.

The man stopped short from Bryant his head slightly bowed. "I should have explained more clearly to everyone the importance in bringing her back...." He muttered gruffly. "She was my daughter...Ariana, the old woman and her son were gypsies who had taken her from me when she was only a month old. I thought they had long since gone when only recently, I saw her at one of the villages getting supplies. I knew right then who she was, and that amulet the old woman was wearing was originally Ariana's to begin with... Her mother gave it to her before she died..." He turned around and looked at Bryant though one couldn't tell because of the darkness that seemed to enclose them, the moon hidden behind the ever growing clouds of smoke. "Now I've lost them both... we have no business staying here, we'll head further south..."

Every once in a while, Dwenna counted herself fortunate, and this was turning out to be one of those times...sort of. One couldn't really pick and chose, though, now could they? The fresh air was almost like a shock, but refreshingly so, the horrible flames left behind as she strained to catch any sort of sign of her charge and fellow gargoyle. Thankfully, she could speak and understand the common tongue, so when Ariana began crying out for that brief period in the night, she did not go unheard.

'Towards the east,' Dwenna noted silently as she swooped down for a closer look. Most likely, they would be near the lakeside, perhaps with a bit of cover, though that was hard to be precise on with another gargoyle to protect her. Dwenna just hoped the mysterious gargoyle had not received any serious injury, distinctly remembering the angry snarls of a bear while they'd been involved with the mob.

Ariana sighed yet again, still trying to figure out how to help her guardian angel, and find the other one at the same time. She was starting to get sleepy which wasn't good on her part, she needed to stay awake.

~*~

"Gargoyles are somewhat like humans, it is not in ones nature to strike down a child, but there are chances where one would..." The man replied, but he sounded unsure. "were she alive, I would search again for her, she is my child, and I want her back."