The Difference In Capital Letters

Camping

  As we take a long route back to the castle, I study Fillin (we're taking the long route so we don't get back whilst everyone is out looking for me). I love Fillin and he adores me, together with Agripin we make the perfect trio. I feel sorry for Fillin whilst he's curled up on my lap, asleep. He's different to the other Wolvarks in two ways, the first main difference is that he doesn't have wings. The second is slightly more puzzling, although he's mostly made of darkness, the parts of him that should be made of shadow are made of fire. I think that he looks really cute despite the red eyes that give him a slightly demonic look, but Fillin hasn't ever fitted in with the other Wolvarks, I think that's how he gets along with the Darrorsows because they're more accepting.

  I've learnt enough about both Darrorsows and Wolvarks to do what I decide in that split second to do. I use the shadows around me to cover the fire parts of Fillin as an extra layer of fur, I then use nearby darkness to forge two magnificent wings for him. As I admire my handiwork I realise that I might have even made him popular, any Wolvark would die for the wings I've just given him - they're so silky and majestic that every Wolvark of the realm will covet them.

  I smile to myself as we stop for the night and I set up camp with some help from Agripin. When I finally wake Fillin so that he can get comfortable in the bed I've made him, his eyes burn bright for a moment and betray the fact that underneath the shadow they're made of fire. Fillin notices his wings and starts yapping for joy, I can't sleep for at least an hour after that, Fillin's all over me licking my face and hands.

  When I eventually fall asleep I notice a small voice calling from afar off, but I'm too tired to listen and I can't discern the words. It doesn't seem too friendly either so I just drift off into a deep sleep. Being out in this forest means that no one from the village is going to bother us, but I suppose we're more at danger of being too exposed to people from the other realms.

  I wake up with a start, I look for Fillin but I can't see him anywhere and Agripin doesn't seem to be anywhere nearby either. I don't really think much about it, I suppose if I had then I'd have been more on my guard and what happened next wouldn't have happened. I eat a small breakfast and set about melting snow so that I can have a drink.

  I've only just packed up camp and covered all traces of us being here when I hear a twig snap behind me. I freeze, but I reach too late for one of my knives. I feel my limbs freezing and I'm paralyzed. I make a small snarl, both to show determination and hint to Agripin and Fillin to stay away. Surprisingly I'm not bothered by the cold, I think that's a privilege of being a child of Light. As my blood boils at being caught I feel an ice-cold hand on my shoulder and a yelp. The hand is quickly removed and I hear some muttering behind me. Somehow I know I'm not meant to understand what they're saying, but I do, I can hear a young boy mumbling that my shoulder is boiling hot.

  Puffed up by the fact that I've surprised my attacker, I speak back to them in their language (it turns out that it's Russian): 

'Maybe you shouldn't have touched me then.'

  I'm not sure if they're more surprised at my understanding them or having burnt them, but it doesn't take long for them to recover: 

'Quiet, Shadow scum.'

  I let out a wicked cackle at the harsh whisper, and I can see from my captor's face that he thinks I'm mad.

  As I'm prodded in the back, rather rudely, I take a look at the people surrounding me. There are three, two boys and a girl. They all have white hair, as straight as planks, and their eyes are all brown. I take it that they are people of the ice. From what I've worked out, the people of each realm are known by the colour of their hair. Each of them are garbed in white winter ware and the girl wears a glistening white tiara, so I've walked into the path of royalty.

  The girl walks in front of us with her white cloak just in front of me, a mischievous smile creeps up my face as I form a plan. I wait until there is a log in front, and once she's over I gently kick the log so her cloak is caught underneath. She trips over, and one boy goes to help her up. I have to give it to the woman, she did fall over rather majestically.

  We set up camp a little further on, and they leave me in the cold outside. To be honest I don't really care, 'Queenie' (as I've decided to call her) goes to bed in a bit of a huff, the other guard seems to tired to care and follows suit. Out of the three of them I'm left with the smart one, the one who even thinks about guarding me. It turns out he's the one I burnt earlier. 

  I try to make some small talk with him:

'So what's your name?... I'm Verity...'

  He doesn't answer so I soon give up. He probably thinks I'm insane - no normal person strikes up a conversation with their captor.

  A little while into the night and I can hear the two different snores from the two tents. It's now that 'Intelligence' answers me:

'Sorry, you have to understand why I waited until now. My name's Kazimir, but you can call me Kazi.'

'Why exactly have you lot caught me, and where are we going?'

'We've been out hunting, and we hadn't got anything - so my sister thought it would be a good idea if we could catch a prisoner instead. It was you that caught her cloak under the log earlier wasn't it?'

'Yes.'

'Thanks, it gave me something to laugh about, she can be such a snob - she really deserved it.'

'Glad to be of service, do you want me to look at your hand?'

'I probably shouldn't let you but yes please.'

  He puts his hand in my lap rather cautiously and I gently pick it up. I know I must have some power over water because I had the power earlier to burn him. I put as much energy as I can into trying to heal it, nothing seems to happen but after 20 minutes it eventually works.

'Sorry that took so long. I'm not used to working with water, or with fire and ice for that matter.'

'No it's fine thanks. You're a child of Light aren't you?'

'I've been told that, yes.'

'Really?'

'No, I'm pulling your leg. What do you think?'

  He chuckles at that. It turns out that he is also a child of Light, unlike his brother and sister who although aren't children of Dark, aren't as powerful as him because they're 'ordinary'. I actually enjoy the evening a lot, despite being technically captured Kazi teaches me how to use my ice powers and I teach him to use his shadow powers - he tells me a few things that Keoki failed to explain to me, about how a child of Light can build their skills in the other areas if they practice them enough. Kazi says that it's even possible to be more powerful in other areas than your dominant power.

  By morning time, Kazi and I agree on one thing, that we're both friends. As the sun starts to peak over the horizon he gives me some spare ice armour and we set off to get as far from the camp as possible. Kazi and I leave marks to make it look like I over-powered him in a fight and once we're far enough from the camp I give a loud whistle. Sure enough Agripin comes running, he's rather uncertain about Kazi to begin with but when he learns that Kazi is a child of Light and of how he helped me Agripin is fine with taking Kazi with us too.

  I ride up front with Kazi behind me, this gives me the chance to ask Agripin where Fillin is, it turns out that he's gone back to the castle to grab the items I need and will join us at an agreed place. When we stop, Kazi explains that he'll be able to get his steed in a few more miles, but that until then he won't give me a single hint as to what creature his steed is.