Right when Mira left Engel there she got scared out of her mind. She ran to Mira and cluched her hand "don't leave me." was all that she could say. The thought of home, the forest, was nice but lately she has been getting a weird feeling that she was not safe anymore. Some parts of the forest had been turned into small deserts and have scared all the animals. She did not want to be alone anymore because she feared what was happening in the forest and Mira made her feel safe.

Mira stared at Engel and sighed. "You're not making things easy, but fine!" She groaned. And with another sighed she started off to another shop. "First we get you some clothing, I'm not gonna keep walking around with you in rags. Then we'll get you a pack and sleeping things and finally supplies. You're gonna carry your own weight." She frowned. "Oh no. I'm starting to sound like my father! Ugh!"

Engel nodded and smiled up at Mira. "ok, I can carry a lot." Engel said with a smile and followed her

Mira smiled softly and and pushed Engel into a store where she was poked, proded, stripped and measured. Finally she was put back in front of Mira, fully clothed. Mira nodded approvingly, paid and dragged her off again. When they finally had everything in order Engel's pack was nearly the same size as Engel herself. Mira pulled out her book as the neared the far end of town and started down the road towards the forest. "Sorry if I'm not much of a companion, I have to study."

"it is ok I will just keep myself bussy. I am just glad that I am not alone anymore, strange things have been going on in the forest lately." Engel said as she walked next to Mira and smiled

"What do you mean 'strange things'?" Mira glanced up from her book, nearly tripping along the way.

"well some parts of the forest have turned into desert places and it keeps on spreading." Engel said as she walked by Mira's side but not likeing her new shoes

Mira frowned. "Deserts....odd." She raised her book up again. "I've never heard of something like that. When we get to a city we'll see if they have a library. Maybe something like this has happened before. Maybe we can see if mother nature is on the fritz again." She laughed softly.

"yay it is odd but really scary. All the animals are scared now." Engel said as he sat down on the groudn quickly and took her shoes off. Then ran after Mira with her shoes in her hands.

"That is strange." But she tilted her head, hearing the birds singing. "Well I don't think we have to worry about that here...at least right now. Everything seems to be ok here." She held her book above her head as she stretched, and went back to reading. Unknown to them, not far behind and downwind of Engel's sensitive nose, a pair of eyes watched and followed them in the shadows of the tree's.

Engel got bored with Mira and her reading. So she climbed a tree and swung from branch to branch instead of walking.

The hours passed and finally Mira closed her book as the sky began to turn a golden color with the setting sun. "Ok Engel, time to find a place to camp tonight." She walked off the road into the forest a little. Mira found a very small clearing and nodded as she shrugged off her pack. "Alright. Engel, you go an grab wood. Big and small sticks and bring them here. Take off your pack." Mira began to lay out the blankets.

Engel nodded and put her bag down. Then went off to find some wood. She came back with a lot of wood and sat it down. "this place is great" engel said as she layed down on the grass and started to purr like a kitten.

Mira chuckled. "Yes, well, it will be alright for tonight. We still got a lot of ground to cover for tomorrow." She pulled a map from her pack. "According to this there is a inn a few miles from here. They might have a place to rent some horses. Or will at least know a place to get horses before we reach the great plains."

Engel smiled a bit "You do not need a horse, you have me." she said and got up "and horses do not like me that much."

Mira laughed as she set about building a fire. "You may be a changling hun, but even you will get tired of carrying me, if you are big enough. Besides, unless you're a horse changling, we will need to ride across a great distance with little food and water. The horses will last better in that place cause it's one of their....oh what is that word. Ah! Habitats! One of their natural habitats!"

Engel laguhed a bit. "oh a horse can run fast but it can never out run a tiger and I think I would scare them." then droped to all fours and started to grow a tail and ears. soon right in front of Mira was a hug white tiger "when I am in this form you as light as a feather on my back. It will be easyer then dragging a deer in my mouth."

Mira's eyes widened, she fell back, raising her hands in surprised. "Codenda!" She cried out and a spark and a puff of smoke flew from her hands. Mira sat there staring in surprised and then started cussing at herself since she was only able to make a puff of smoke.

Engel laughed a bit then walked over to Mira and licked her head "I am not going to hurt you."

Mira pushed Engel's head away from hers. "Ech! No kissing! Bad kitty!" Mira chuckled and flopped back down. "Ne, no wonder you're such a kid, kid. Heh."

"well I do not know that much about the real world, I was raised in the wild." Engel said as she layed down besides Mira

Mira laughed and patted Engel on the head. "And I'm supposed to feel safe?" Mira sat up and began to rummage through her pack. "Alright, change back and lets eat dinner now, huh?"

"yay food" was all that Engel said as she turned back to her human self

Mira chuckled softly. "You are easily entertained I see."

The night went on quietly as the eyes that had followed them continued to watch from the shadows. Another pair joined him, a young Angela woman, her wings tucked behind her. She leaned over and whispered to the male. "Well now. Isn't she cute? They're nearing 'it' aren't they?" The male nodded. "It's dangerous. I do not want to harm them but..."

***

The next morning Mira awoke with a groan and pushed herself up out of the warm blankets and the hard ground. "One thing I hate about traveling is the sleeping arrangements."

Engel layed on her side still asleep and her blanket was laying next to her. She was snoreing, drooling and purring all at the same time.