Both Nightfall and Skylong heard the terror; it was unlike anything they had heard before.  The human was definitely panicked; Skylong was grateful for Nightfall.  It was Nightfall who had taught him that hearing sounds was just as important when things were silent as when things were noisy; but Skylong hesitated.  "The night will arrive soon, Nightfall.  I see Gryphons occasionally, up in the sky from time to time.  I look around and see a few villages; some barren trees every now and then.  But I don't know where to look for this woman."<br/><br/>The wolf moved toward Skylong; her majestic white fur with one single black star atop her forehead betrayed her status among her pack.  It was fitting that as Nightfall was the leader of her pack, Skylong was the chief of his tribe.  "You think we should check it out, do you?"  The elf looked up, noticing something was not right.  He didn't quite care for grypons or any flying creatures to be sure; but he knew when something was wrong.  "The Grypons; they occasionally lose their sense of direction.  Fear, Nightfall.  Fear is in this place; I tried to deny it every time I would come out of the forest.  But it is clear that all is not right."<br/><br/>The wolf again insisted that they go back to investigate the terrified screaming.  As he continued examining the surrounding, he also noticed that the sunsets were not as beautiful as they once had been.  The world was not what it once was, but shadows of its former glory remained.  "Oh no, Nightfall.  Thank you for the kind offer to ride your back, but you are still healing from the raid of the trolls.  You are right; it sounds like someone is in trouble.  Please, try not to beat me.  You know I'm not as fast as you."  The wolf howled and took off, but close behind, observing all the sights and sounds, was Skylong.  The trees were unusually quiet, maybe even sick.  The luscious greens and browns of the forest were not luscious anymore; at one time, the fairies would come out and dance during the early evening and sometimes, in an attempt to preserve frightened forest creatures, would bind them in their white sticky web stuff he had not figured out what to call as of yet.  Then the elves would free the terrified beings and determine how it was hurt.  But the fairies hadn't done that in a while and their appearances were now scarce.  Skylong wasn't quite sure what happened to lost, sickly creatures.<br/><br/>He wouldn't have even minded seeing an imp or two, though they were a nuisance to be sure.  Even the normal annoyances of the forest were falling away; things Skylong cursed before, now he wished were there again to show that life was bustling as it should.<br/><br/>He neared the grove where his tribe, nicknamed rough riders, had made their home.  He had a loyal bunch.  Both he and Nightfall slowed down; it was certain the screams were coming from inside Skylong's own sleeping quarters.  Eyes was guarding; it was an ironic name.  Eyes was totally blind, having lost his sight from a powerful mage's curse during long ago battles.  But he did not allow that to stop him from living, breathing, moving; Eyes used his sense of smell, touch, and hearing to navigate.  He was so good at it, he made many captures proving to the tribe that 'looking' with one's eyes was not always seeing.  Hence, the name Eyes.  Skylong bent to one knee before Eyes as was always the custom when a chief returned to camp.  If the one being bowed to said "Arise", it meant the chief's authority was still intact.  It was a gesture of humility on the side of the chief, and of servitude on the side of the recipient.<br/><br/>"Arise, my chief.  We found the human in the forest not long ago, following you and Nightfall.  We did not want to disturb your mission, so we took her here."<br/><br/>"Very good; I suppose you want to correct her, so what are her crimes?"<br/><br/>"Following you; no doubt, she probably wanted the wolf for dinner."<br/><br/>"No doubt."  He looked down at Nightfall.  "But, my friend has taught me better ways than my father.  Before beginning, let me lecture the human.  I've never understood why they sometimes get lost in the wildes.  Nightfall, you are welcome to …", but before the words escaped, the wolf entered the hut.<br/><br/>Skylong approached the entrance; looking inside, he saw the victim agitated, wailing at times on the post as if grasping for breath - yet she appeared unharmed.  Nightfall approached her, but there was only fear from the part of the human.  Nightfall sniffed for a moment, then began a small whimper.  Returning back to Skylong, he respectfully stared at the lone wolf.  "Why yes, Nightfall.  I'll untie her if you wish, but please guard the exit.  … Eyes, release the human and then let us be so we can talk."<br/><br/>He would lecture the human on coming into the forest; he would lecture the human on following paths that could be dangerous; and then he would let the human go, escorted out of the forest by members of his tribe who would make sure to teach her a lesson along the way so she would not return, or at least not easily and willingly.  Humans were not welcomed in the Forest because of their off tendencies to bring destructive ruin wherever they trudged, but, luckily for most of them, everything was taken on a case by case basis.<br/><br/>It was then he noticed; he looked straight into the eyes of the human … he noted every feature of her skin … her eyes, they were not normal eyes.  Dare he say, they were gryphon's eyes?  Or at least, they had seen and connected with gryphon's before?  Even more than that, dare he say … those were the eyes of a chief of a tribal unit?<br/><br/>"First question.  Why do you bear a striking resemblance to the person in this orb?"  He handed the orb, the one the Mystic had lent him, to her.<br/><br/>"Second question, are you the head of a … human tribe of sorts?"  Skylong would be intrigued indeed if this was some sort of human royal person who also connected with animals the way he did; certainly, that took much more caring than most of the humans possessed collectively.  Certainly, then, this woman must have answers that he did not have.<br/><br/>Without waiting, he shouted to Eyes outside the hut.  "Bring her food and drink and then prepare a place for her to sleep tonight.  This is no ordinary human you have captured."