Frankie
Fury seized Amaryllis as she watched yet another of her sheep be slaughtered by the awful beast. This time, it was a young lamb, just a few months old, and Amaryllis was greatly pained by the sight as the little creature bleated, then screamed before its cry was cut short. Mentally, Amaryllis berated herself. She must have forgotten to lock the door; that was the only explanation for how the wolf got in here. How could she have been so careless? 
Filled with rage and a determined desire to kill this beast, she threw the pitchfork at the wolf. It landed so close, yet still missed. The tines stuck deep into the dirt floor and hay, but without a second thought, Amaryllis rushed forward and shouted at the beast, lunging for the pitchfork again so that she could defend herself and brandishing the torch at the awful creature.
James
The large wolf could smell the anger radiating off the human and mentally chuckled. If gave her a feeling of empowerment as the girl could do nothing to help her poor flock. It was the exact same feeling she had when the humans had murdered her village. Turning to face the human, Cecilia tilted her head as she watched the pitch fork thrown towards her and almost choked out laughing. She really was weak. 
She sat there in amusement while the human lunges for the pitchfork, not worried about what would happen if she got a hold of it considering it wasn't silver. What she didn't expect was a torch being thrown at her. Her eyes widened and without a second thought, Cecilia bolted from where she had been standing. Reaching towards the entranced, she threw herself into a roll against the floor that had been covered in water I case any part of her had been touched by the flame as an instinct. She had seen how quickly fire spread on a shifter's coat or skin.
Frankie
Amaryllis' eyes widened in surprise when the wolf fled and seemed so frightened by the torch. Although the pitchfork and Amaryllis' rushing advances weren't enough to get rid of the beast, fire seemed to do the trick. This time, however, she wouldn't try to take the offensive. Rather, she would guard her flock and eventually the wolf would give up, she hoped. When the storm stopped, someone would eventually come looking for her, if the wolf hadn't left by then. As long as the flame didn't go out, they would be okay.
With that thought in mind, she pushed the sheep and herded them until they were bunched into a corner of the pen, shielded on one side by the wall and on another by a stack of haybales. She quickly moved the bales into place along the third side, then moved to cover the fourth and final side, sitting like a sentry with the torch and pitchfork, one in each hand. This way, there was only one way for the wolf to get into her flock again.
James
Her eyes didn't leave the human as she laid in a water puddle, annoyed as she could easily make sense of what she was doing. Fortunately for Cecilia, she had already eaten one of the sheeps and she still had one lamb that she had left in the middle of the barn. The wolf pushed herself off the floor and casually strolled to where the lamb's corpse laid, far from the human and her torch. 
It more boredom out of anything as to why this was happening. It was like her mind was twisted enough into thinking what she was doing was all fun and games seeing how she was only harming the sheep. Weren't they being cared for to be eaten in the end? She just plucked a couple from the flock a little before their time.
Laying down next to the lamb, Cecilia looked towards the girl as she lowered her muzzle towards the lamb's stomach and began tearing into its flesh. Her eyes never left her as she ate tauntingly in front of her.
Frankie
Amaryllis grimaced as she watched the wolf lay down and start to tear into the fluffy little lamb. Her stomach lurched at the sound of tearing flesh and sinew, and the squelching sound as the wolf devoured the poor little creature. The sheep behind her bleated pitifully and shifted constantly, clearly on-edge still and frightened, but the coppery stench of blood was so strong in the barn and death hung over everything like black crepe after a funeral. 
She wanted to go after the wolf, and her body shook with rage as she glared at the creature who was devouring the poor little lamb. But doing so would leave her flock vulnerable again, and that was a mistake she had already made once and didn't care to repeat. So despite her anger, she stayed in place and did not leave her post. She gripped the pitchfork and the torch tightly, ready to roast the awful beast if it came near them again. Granted, she also had to be careful. They were, after all, in an old barn filled with hay, and the whole thing could very easily go up in smoke. 
It seemed like the wolf was defying her as it laid there and ate. The large eyes never left her, and there was a certain malice there that sent shivers down her spine.
James
She loved the glare that came from the human as it was a sign she had gotten to her. It didn't take long for her to eat the lamb as she decided what to do next. She had to find a way to blow the torch out. He head turned towards the entrance of the barn and studied the handles on the door. She had already damaged the lock so a good push was all that was needed to blow them open. 
Making her way to the large set of wooden doors, the large wolf sprinted towards them as soon as she got close enough in an attempt to open them with her body weight considering the wooden materials the doors were made of had aged. 
The sound of her body clashing against the wood echoed through the barn whilst Cecilia stumbled back in a daze. Could the snow already have reached the point where they had been snowed in?
Frankie
Amaryllis watched as the wolf rammed into the door. She wasn't sure whether to think that the beast was now attempting to escape and simply didn't know how, now that the doors were closed, or whether the beast was more intelligent than she thought. A little part of her thought that it looked like the wolf was doing this on purpose, as if it knew the doors could be opened this way. 
Except they didn't.
This was another thing Amaryllis was unsure of. Should she be happy that the wolf was trapped here? Or afraid? If the torch went out, she and the sheep were likely toast. Or rather, dinner. She bit her lower lip hard and moved the lantern closer to her, concentrating the light and the fire in her area, hoping to ward off the wolf. 
The doors didn't budge, thanks to the blizzard outside, which had drifted the snow high against the doors in such a way that there was no chance of either Amaryllis or the wolf escaping anytime soon. Like it or not, they were trapped in here until the storm blew over and someone dug them out. Amaryllis had food enough to be fine, though granted, Cecilia would too, if she could get past Amaryllis again.
James
Cecilia continued to ram into the door hoping her strength was enough to open the doors. Instead, cracks began to form in the wood as a result of the constant hits. It was too difficult for her to open, she was too small and needed more weight on her if she wanted any chance. Taking a couple steps back from the doors, Cecilia focused on the image of her horse form. The more she thought of it's appearance, the more her body would restructure her skeletal appearance followed by the growth in muscle and fat. It wasn't long until she stood about six feet tall, her skin covered in a glossy black coat that would have made it impossible for her to be seen in the dark. 
She didn't take a second to take a breath as she reared up against the large doors. Raising her two hind legs off against the floor, Cecilia bucked them with as much strength possible causing prices of wood to fly off.
Frankie
Amaryllis gawked as she watched Cecilia morph before her very eyes. Her mouth was agape and her eyes wide, and she was so stunned that she stopped breathing for a bit and just stood there, dumbfounded. Not a sound came from her, even as she watched the doors splinter and crack under the weight of the huge muscular wolf-turned-horse, eventually giving way completely and bursting open, letting all the cold and snow come pouring in and allowing Cecilia to get out. 
She had heard of shifters before and the havoc they brought with them, but she had never dreamed that she'd see it firsthand one dy. She was beyond stunned, and just stood there and watched in awe and horror. She had no idea how she was going to get through the remainder of the storwhen the barn would be freezing without a door, but at the same time, it was incredible to see a shifter in person. No wonder they were hunted and killed. They certainly weren't human! But at the same time... There was something magnificent about it all.
James
She closed her eyes as snow hit her face with a fierce force causing her to step back a few steps and shake her head, snapping herself out of her temporary daze. Ok maybe that hadn't been such a smart idea as the storm was continuing to grow rougher. Surely one good outcome came out of all her dumb ass ideas, sometimes she didn't think things through. Looking towards the human who was gawking at her in awe, she eyed the torch she was holding and was more than delighted to see that it had been blown out. 
Her ears stood forward with a minute of happiness before stepping away from the wooden doors. Luckily they were thick enough to hold steadily so the barn wouldn't flood in snow but the doors did nothing to keep the wind or cold out. 
Now that the torch was out, the sheep were easy game. Cecilia had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she once again began to shift into her wolf form. Even though she didn't show it, Cecilia was starting to grow tired from the repetitive shifting after having such a tough flight here.
Frankie
Amaryllis' awe quickly turned to pure horror as she watched the shifter turn from horse to wolf once more. There was only one thing that was eant to happen here. The shifter meant to attack her herd again and, most likely, she herself as well. But then, why should she be surprised? Shifters were known to be ruthless and blood-thirsty. That's why humans sought to annihilate them. 
It was then that Amaryllis realized that the biting wind had snuffed out the torch. The lantern still gleamed brightly, but even when Amaryllis tried to relight the torch from the flickering flame of the lantern, the fire wouldn't take. The wind was too much, and the only reason the lantern could continue to burn was because it was shielded by glass. 
Quickly, she took up her pitchfork again and prepared to take on the shifter, but she didn't abandon the lantern either. Instead, she held it high by the handle, ready to swing it at the shifter. Now that she knew Cecilia was a shifter, she knew that the wolf could understand everything she said. As such, she shouted over the wind and the storm, "Don't you dare come any closer! I'll strike you with the lantern! I'll throw it into the hay and this whole place will burn down!"
James
Cecilia looked towards the lantern and then towards the female as she continued to grow closer. It was incredibly hard to not laugh while in wolf form as it would end up sounding like she was choking on a hairball. 
**You do realise that if you burnt the barn down, not only would you kill me but also your precious flock and yourself?** 
She mentally chuckled to the human before eyeing out the sheep beside her. Raising her lips so her gums and fangs were bared, a threatening growl scratched at her throat causing the animals to go into a state of panic. After Cecilia regained her composure, she looked back towards the human, curious as to whether she would actually burn the barn down. **I only plan on taking one more.**
Frankie
Amaryllis shook her head vehemently, quite bothered by the sound of the shifter's voice in her head. She tried to push it away, mentally, hating the fact that it made her feel as if she were going crazy. What was wrong with her? Now she was hearing voices in her head... This was not something she was aware that shifters could do, and it set her on edge. 
"No!" She said, her voice trembling a little as she moved into an even more defensive position, shielding her flock as best she could. "No! No more! You'll have to go through me first!"
Admittedly, the opening to the little pen Amaryllis had created for the sheep was only as wide as her body, and the bales were stacked high enough that Cecilia wouldn't be able to jump over them. Amaryllis was all that was left standing between the shifter and it's meal, and she was the weakest link. 
"I'd rather see us all go up in flames than watch you slaughter another one!" She raised the lantern higher, fully prepared to throw it down if the shifter came any closer. The barn would catch quickly, likely before even the shifter could escape.
James
She had to let out an annoyed breath of air as this human was really crazy enough to burn them all alive just so she couldn't have her meal. Knowing that if she attacked the human, she would probably drop the lamp which may result in fire catching onto the haystack due to its flammability. 
**I guess your pets get to live for now.** She replied in an extremely agitated voice before walking away from the huddled group and towards one of the spaces free from the snow. The thought of having to stay here until the storm passed caused her dread, not expecting to have found this barn in the first place but she had needed shelter and food. The reason for the dread was the very fact that the sounds made by the animals pissed her off. They sounded like they are constantly trying to have a scream off with eachother while getting choked. It wasn't a pretty sound to her ears.
Frankie
Amaryllis breathed a faint sigh of relief as the shifter relented and backed off. She had thought for sure that the shifter would attack anyway and kill her before moving on to her flock, but instead, the shifter took her bluffing seriously and backed off. Amaryllis was grateful for that. She didn't back down in any way, however, and instead retained her position, ready to fight off the shifter if the awful thing made an attempt again. She was a little relieved though. 
Now began the hardest part of the night, however. With the doors burst open wide, cold poured into the barn and left Amaryllis shivering with cold. Of course, she still had on her coat and other winter clothing, but that would do little, in the long run. Without access to food or the blankets she had stored here, she wouldn't last too long in this weather. A few hours, maybe, but eventually the cold would begin to nibble away at her, taking her fingers and toes first. She shuddered at the thought, but steeled herself for what was to come. She could only hope that the storm would pass and the shifter would move on before that happened.
James
The shifter looked towards the human and tilted her head slightly to the side, wondering in her head how long the human would last. Maybe she just had to stay where she was and relax seeing how the human would die of hypothermia, leaving the flock defenceless. 
** You really prefer to give your life for some measly sheep?** It astounded her considering they were nothing but weak prey, born to be hunted down and eaten. It didn't make sense. Not only that but she could easily leave one sheep to the harsh winter and use its coat for warmth. That's what she would have done. 
**Just sacrifice one sheep and you can be warm and I can be happy with a slightly full stomach?** It wasn't a difficult decision to make.
Frankie
Amaryllis remained stubborn and shook her head, unwilling to part with any more of her sheep. They were mostly raised for their fleece, and not for their meat, so to lose 2 already tonight was a bit traumatizing. A third... 
"You've had your fill," She replied stubbornly, her teeth chattering a little, despite her attempts to hide it. 
The shifter got to cheat though, much to her chagrin. The shifter had the benefit of a thick fur coat, and the coats that animals had, no matter how humans tried to replicate them, were significantly better. She bit her lower lip hard and added a moment later, "If you take your human form, there's other food here. But only for humans."
James
She didn't like the idea of shifting into her human form as it would have been the one thing she could have used to disguise herself to the human if they later crossed paths. Her pupils shifted up and down as she studied the human from head to toe, deciding whether it was worth it or not seeing how it would mean that she would have to shift twice. **I'd rather not. But hey, I'm just giving you and option of survival here for both you and the rest of your sheep. If you let me have one more sheep, then I won't harm a single one after and maybe I'll be nice enough to let you lay by me and use my fur for warmth.** She began before mentally smirking as she let the option sink in before continuing. **If you remain stubborn then I will just wait it out until you pass out from the cold, then you wouldn't be able to protect your precious sheep as I devour them one. By. One.**
Frankie
Amaryllis shook her head and shuddered, though it was hard to tell whether it was truly a shudder or whether it was her body's automatic response to how cold it was. Honestly, more than anything, she wanted Ceci's voice out of her head. It bothered to have Ceci invading her mind, and it genuinely made her feel as if she were going crazy. If she told anyone about all of this, they'd surely think she was crazy. No one here had ever actually dealt with a shifter... Had they? They were so rare. Almost extinct.
*Apparently not extinct enough*, she thought. 
After a long pause, Amaryllis finally shook her head and replied, "I'd rather die than give you another sheep, and Iron Gate will be a dessert before I ever got near you." The last bit was filled with venom and Amaryllis practically spat the words out.
James
Cecilia rolled her eyes before laying herself back down seeing how she had gotten nowhere. Rolling onto her back, she lookup towards the top of the barn bored. Now it was the waiting game. She wasn't the most patient person in Marin, if anything Cecilia had very little patience. 
**Well I guess Mother Nature can arrange that for you.** She teased. 
In her head, she tried to imagine ways she could pass time that didn't involve sleeping. God knows what the human would attempt to do to her while she slept. Maybe she could talk to the human and make her use all her energy. That was an idea. 
**Why are you so obsessed with these sheep? Do you involve yourself in sexual activities with them or something?** She asked while scrunching her nose in disgust at the thought. Humans didn't do that did they? She knew Cleburn did, but no one else that she knew would.
Frankie
"Ewww!" Amaryllis blurted out, her face turning pink at the very thought and her nose wrinkling in disgust. "You disgusting creature! No! Why would you even think something like that?" 
How anyone could think that was appealing was beyond Amaryllis, and she had no idea where this awful creature got this idea. Shifters clearly were depraved and needed to be eradicated. 
"I'm not obsessed," She continued. "I raised them from the time they were young. They're my livelihood, so of course I want to protect them. They're my pets, in a way."
James
**I was just guessing.** She replied in a monotone voice. ** I don't know what you humans are like.** 
She remembered when a few people had tried to make her their pet, though it never lasted long as she always managed a way to escape. 
**What do you do with them? Is that all you do with your life? It sounds pretty bland and boring to me.** 
If Cecilia was forced to look after some sheep all day for the rest of her life, she would have ended the person before they had a chance to escape. It was like slavery to the sheep. They were living the lifestyle while the human worked her behind off to look after them.
Frankie
Amaryllis faltered a bit at that, biting her lower lip hard as she pondered that for a few moments. She had met others from other lands now, and a little part of her wanted to know what those other places were like. But you couldn't do that with sheep. Her life was dictated by the sheep, but at the same time, the sheep provided her with income so she could afford to live, and it was because of them that she hadn't ended up a prostitute on the streets yet. 
Finally she replied, "I sell some of them, but most are sheered for their wool. And... Yeah, I guess that's all I do with my life. It's bland and boring, but it's better than being a monster."
James
Her hears perked up at her last comment before chucking in the human's head. **Oh I wasn't always a monster darling.** She began as she stood up from her spot and began taking slow intimidating steps towards her. 
**I used to be a happy innocent little shifter. Wouldn't hurt a single fly in the world. That's when I had a family you see?** A low growl escaped her throat as she continued to take steady steps. **You human's turned that innocent little girl into a monster just at a young age of seven. Sure I could try to be nicer but I just have a very strong hate for the human species so it's not as easy as you would think.**
Frankie
Amaryllis was instantly back on edge as the shifter rose and started towards her. The gate was wolf-like, obviously, with the low stance and the rolling shoulders as Cecilia stalked towards her in the way that wolves did when they were about to pounce. She snapped back to attention immediately, gripping the lantern tightly as she prepared to use it as a weapon.
"Your kind needs to be eradicated," She hissed. "You're a threat and a menace to society. Subhumans. Animals!"
James
She almost broke down in laughter at that. **Want to know an interesting fact? My kind never interacted or involved themselves with the human society. We preferred to be alone to ourselves in our villages.** She snarled as she continued making her way towards the human, the Landon not in her field of vision as she was too focused on the human and the story she told her. 
**It wasn't until you humans came invading our villages and killing our families without a care in the world. You forced us to flee into human civilisation, into hiding. We are forced to watch as you go on your daily lives not caring about the genocide taking place.** 
Once she reached the human, she stopped only a foot away as she watched her reaction, knowing that if she made the wrong move, Cecilia wouldn't hesitate to attack. **But what really made me hate humans? Would have to be when my sister tried to help me escape but one of the humans stabbed her in the heart in front of my eyes.**
Frankie
Amaryllis' heart was beating fast as she stood there, her face pale and her breathing shallow. She rather looked like a frightened rabbit, staying completely still in the hopes that the predator would leave it alone or fail to notice it altogether. On some level, she pitied the shifter for her story. If what she was saying was true, then she could understand the hatred that the shifter felt... But she had also determined that shifters could never be trusted. After all, Cecilia had already proven herself to be a vicious, monstrous creature. Anything that changed forms was, well, shifty, and therefore, could easily shift the truth to fit them as well. 
"I wasn't a part of all that," Amaryllis replied, trying her best to keep the trembling out of her voice. "Though now that I've met you, I wish I had. Your kind can't be eliminated fast enough."
James
That last part made her snap. It took all self control for her to keep Toula at bay but she had to do something to release her anger before she tore this human to shreds. The human wouldn't have had time to realise what was happening as Cecilia tore the lantern out oh Amaryllis's hand. Dashing towards the entrance, Cecilia aimed the lantern at one of the homes in the doors and threw it with her muzzle. When the lantern was lost in the snow, the large wolf looked towards the human with a dangerous glare. 
**My kind could have easily made your kind extinct if we wanted but no, we didn't want a war. You humans are typical at starting them, even against yourselves because you're all nothing but greedy. You really know how to press a Shifter's button.** She snarled before sprinting towards her and her flock. Once close, Cecilia began tearing through the livestock.
Frankie
Amaryllis was gripping the lantern so tightly that, when Cecilia ripped it from her hands, it twisted her wrist and tore off a fingernail, leaving her clutching her injured hand and sobbing. However, her physical pain was surmounted by pure horror as she watched the flock being attacked by the awful shifter. Amaryllis screamed, though she knew no one would hear her over the storm outside. She didn't know what to do. Should she run for help? No, in this storm, there was no way that she could get to anyone and get back before the entire flock was slaughtered. She had to protect them herself.
She dove into the fray, lashing out at the shifter with the pitchfork and managing to get a few good jabs in. All the same, the shifter was easily able to tear into the helpless sheep, even as the frightened creatures scattered all over the barn in a desperate attempt to escape. Amaryllis was covered in blood, as was the shifter, and the horrific sounds of rending flesh and crunching bone filled the air. Amaryllis screamed and fought, forgetting about her own safety as she launched herself bodily at the shifter.
She had to protect her flock! She was entrusted with them by her father, before he and the rest of her family were taken by the plague. In a way, this small flock had become her family. It was a way in which her family lived on, and it was one of the few physical reminders she had left of them. She couldn't lose them all...
James
Cecilia couldn't hear the screams of the human as she tore into the herd. The pitchfork did nothing but itch her as she stabbed it into her. She had gone through half of the flock before the human launched herself at Cecilia. She didn't want to kill the human as that would bring too much shit down on her so she used her large head to throw Amaryllis to the side. 
Looking around to view what she had done, she noticed she may have gone slightly out of control as only half of the herd remained. Her chest heaved as she panted and laid down next to one of the sheep she mauled to death and began eating. Completely ignoring the human crying hysterically.
Frankie
Amaryllis stumbled as Cecilia tossed her about like a ragdoll, stumbling over the carcass of one of her slaughtered sheep and falling head-first into the barn wall. It was enough to nearly knock her unconscious, causing her knees to buckle as she fell in a heap on the floor in the middle of a pool of blood, next to the still-warm body of yet another sheep. She didn't have good control of the pitchfork as she fell either, and as she came down, she landed on the tines, sending the sharp points deep into her right thigh. At that, she let out a piercing scream that seemed to last an eternity before the pain got to be too much and she slipped into a state of shock.
James
Continued to bury her fanged into the Sheep's Caracas while watching the human get injured as a result of being thrown. Atleast she was no longer crying and shouting so it was slightly quiet besides the scared screams from what was left of the heard. Cecilia didn't care much about what was happening around her considering she had the upper hand in everything. 
The animals she had slaughtered had filled her to the point where she noticed that she may have killed more than she should have. At least some were alive right?? Though depending on how this human continued to piss her off, she may end up murdering the rest. 
Standing herself up after she had filled her stomach, Cecilia strolled towards Amaryllis. Her fur had been covered in blood from her prey, ruining her once shiny white coat as it had now been tinged with red. **And I thought I was dramatic**
Frankie
Amaryllis laid there, covered in blood and clearly in a lot of pain. But then again, she did have a pitchfork stabbed into her leg at the moment... This was what the shifter had wanted all along, Amaryllis thought bitterly to herself. To see Amary in pain and to ultimately kill her, though death by pitchfork stabbing was never something that Amaryllis had really thought of as a way to die. 
Amaryllis managed a bitter glare at the wolf, then closed her eyes and turned away as a faint groan escaped her. Everything hurt... "No, you're just a bitch," She finally managed to say through gritted teeth.
James
**I'll take that.** She replied with slight amusement. It was amazing how weak some humans were considering one stabbed her own leg with a pitchfork and now it may take a while for it to properly heal. That was if she even survived this ordeal. 
**I'm not even going to kill you. All I did was throw you out of my way, if anything you'll freeze to death before you die from your injuries.**
And she didn't even get to save a single sheep seeing how Cecilia would eat them all before the storm passed. Turning away from the human, Cecilia shifted into her bird form. Stretching out her wings out, the Shifter pushed herself into the air and flew towards one of the beams on the roof of the barn. This way she could assure her own safety while she slept. It wasn't like there was much to do considering the human was dying and she had her fair share of meat.
Bobby
It was difficult to enjoy being out in the middle of a blizzard dressed in leathers and furs, but somehow Col managed to find comfort in the harsh environment in the absence of voices, the sound of his horse's hooves galloping against compacted snow. His horse was doing most of the work to guide them through the storm, which he discovered was the secret to being a good rider. He was too poor to grow up with horses, so he learned everything he knew within the last 2 years when he started training to be a knight. 

He was delivering a very important message from his trainer to another knight in the small village. He knew he was close when a flock of sheep came running by, but then a woman's scream pierced through the night and it was one of the most horrible sounds he'd ever heard. The snow was coming down so hard he could hardly see, but he'd heard the direction it came from and he pulled hard on the reins to steer his horse quickly in the direction it came from. He needed to take care to not accidentally trample a person who was calling out for help with his horse, so a few feet away from the woman's body he dismounted his horse to call out into the night. "Hello?" The snow was falling so fast and thick he could hardly see his hand in front of his face and the snow was nearly up to his knees which was quite high considering the man was well over six feet tall. His boot kicked a lantern that was still relatively warm but wasn't lit anymore. He picked it up then called out again a little louder.