Sorry if the present tense bothers anyone. I can't really help it. :P

And sorry that it's so super long. :) 

Ashling-- 

I stare openmouthed at the girl who stands before me. She came out of the very shadows themselves. Where darkness and emptiness had been moments before, now stands a girl. Her hair is as black as mine, but she is obviously not an Ashling. To a human, she might have passed for one, but Ashlings can see each other's spirits inside them when we want to, and I could not see this girl's spirit. She is not an Ashling.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before," I said, and she bows slightly.

"My name is something only I know. Same as yours," she says slyly.

"Then what can I call you?" I ask. She smiles.

"Call me Shadow," she says. "But you still haven't answered my question. How did you do those things? Making animals come out of fire and such."

"It's an Ashling trick," I tell her. Just then there's a knock at the door. I go over to open the door, and Shadow melts back into the darkness, as if she isn't there. Mistress comes into the room as soon as the door opens enough for her to push it open. She glares at me.

"Why have you never told me that you can summon animals from fire?" she asks in a loud voice. I smile.

"Because you never asked," I tell her wittingly. She grabs my arm and starts to twist it in a way arms just don't go. I conjure a flame, and the fire in my hand quickly spreads to my arms, where Mistress' fingers get singed as she pulls away. The fire quickly envelops my entire body, leaving me in a bubble of flames.

"I never knew you could do that either," Mistress says angrily. She leaves the room, slamming and locking the door behind her. Shadow comes again out from the gloomy corner, but has to hide again before we can speak. Mistress has come back, and brought Darius with her. The man has heavy, fireproof gloves on, like metal-smiths wear. He grabs me by the back of my neck and drags me back down to the entrance of the large room where I performed for the queen. I hear clapping, and know that one of Mistress' other 'pets' has just done something that the humans find impressive. Mistress returns to her seat as Darius lets go of me and gestures for me to go out again. I sigh and go out to face the crowd again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ashling!" Mistress announces. I can tell the crowd is disappointed. They have seen enough of my animals.

I conjure a flame in one hand, keeping it small, like a candle's flame. With the other hand, I reach up, and a pillar of flame leaps up from my palm, going up and nearly touching the ceiling. I make the small candle flame turn blue, then bring it up so it touches the pillar. The blue spreads, turning the whole column blue. I then bring my arm down, and as I clench my hand into a fist, the fire pillar disappears, replaced by mouse. The mouse skitters around, and I cause it to jump up into the air. As it does, it transforms into a bird, flying around the ceiling twice before landing on the ground and changing into a lion. The lion roars, causing some people to jump back. It extinguishes, leaving only a small pile of ashes in its place.

I see Mistress smile up in her seat. She knows what I'm going to do next. I've showed her this many times. I make the ashes take form, and a small boy appears. The boy made of ashes is playing with a wooden top. The top spins, around and around, and slowly comes to a stop. The boy spins it again, and a dog bounds over, wanting to play with it too. The crowd is now transfixed by the ashes that act out stories. The ash-made dog knocks the top over, and the boy scolds him. A house comes into view, and a woman comes out of it. She yells to the little boy to come inside, and he goes off to bed with his dog right behind him.

The ashes swirl around the room before coming to rest in my hand. I rub my hands together, and then show the audience that the ashes have disappeared. They cheer, and Mistress smiles smugly. I take a bow, turn as if to leave, then turn. I know that after this show, Mistress will never let me out of her sight. She'll always want me with her to show me off to her friends. So tonight has to be the night I escape. As I turn back to the crowd, I blow fire over their heads, and they cheer, thinking it's part of the show. I take a bow, and leave, still blowing a small flame. They clap as I leave, and I head back up to my room.

I then proceed to set the corridor on fire, lock myself in my room, and climb out the window. I go to the stables, steal a young horse with a coat as black as the night itself, and don't even think about my parents' metal box until it's much too late to go back. I keep riding, on and on, and for the first time since my parents died, I cry.

Elizabeth M. -- Yes. Yes I did. 

//Elfie//

I narrowed my eyes at Mistress. Queen? What Queen? The only Queen I'd ever known was Taltayrs, the Elven queen whom I had served for many years.

"Yes Mistress," I said bowing deeply, then stalked off to find this Ash girl.

I may look cutsie on the outside, but I am not one to bend under anyone. I would fetch this Ashling, but I would not perform for anyone.

I walked into the Ash's room without knocking, and found myself nose to nose with a pouncing fire-wolf.

"Ringwe ba putta!" I yelled in Elvish, and the world froze; the fiery beast was now icy blue, along with the fire in the fireplace.

I study it, it's perfect. It was a wolf, but it was unique. Not a replica of the common wolf appariton that cropped up in Elvish and Ashling magic alike.

Time turned back a little and I heard the Ash shout somthing that maade the wolf disolve in a shower of sparks.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, "You could have been killed!"

I tilted my head, frowning, my eyes flaring with a warning of anger that she didn't seem to catch. "I came to tell you that Mistress says we are to perform for the Queen tonight," I say, straightening up.

"Well then, I suppose I'd better practice." She turns around. I can tell she's expecting me to leave. I smile slyly.

"Nice job with the wolf," I murmur, then I slip out the door and disappear into the dark passage.

"Thanks," I hear her say, then she closes the door. I immediately feel a presence.

"Ah," I say, tilting my head up and smiling, "I see 'ma petite ombre' (my little shadow) has folowed me from Elfwood Palace."

A girl, maybe 14, steps out from the darkness, almost as if she was made of shadows themselves.

"I am not your 'little shadow'. And besides, our paths have crossed only a couple of times, Anii--"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY MY REAL NAME HERE, GIRL!!!" I yell, making her fall to the floor, stuttering.

"I-I'm s-sorry! Y-you don't have to ye-yell at m-m-m-me!"

I glare at her, breathing heavily. "It's for your own safty, as well as mine. Names are powerful, remember that." I wet my lips and sigh. Then, I streak off into the darkness, leaving the girl to melt back into the shadows, tears glistening on her cheeks.

Elizabeth M. -- Yes. Yes I did. 

//Elfie//

I narrowed my eyes at Mistress. Queen? What Queen? The only Queen I'd ever known was Taltayrs, the Elven queen whom I had served for many years.

"Yes Mistress," I said bowing deeply, then stalked off to find this Ash girl.

I may look cutsie on the outside, but I am not one to bend under anyone. I would fetch this Ashling, but I would not perform for anyone.

I walked into the Ash's room without knocking, and found myself nose to nose with a pouncing fire-wolf.

"Ringwe ba putta!" I yelled in Elvish, and the world froze; the fiery beast was now icy blue, along with the fire in the fireplace.

I study it, it's perfect. It was a wolf, but it was unique. Not a replica of the common wolf appariton that cropped up in Elvish and Ashling magic alike.

Time turned back a little and I heard the Ash shout somthing that made the wolf disolve in a shower of sparks.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, "You could have been killed!"

I tilted my head, frowning, my eyes flaring with a warning of anger that she didn't seem to catch. "I came to tell you that Mistress says we are to perform for the Queen tonight," I say, straightening up.

"Well then, I suppose I'd better practice." She turns around. I can tell she's expecting me to leave. I smile slyly.

"Nice job with the wolf," I murmur, then I slip out the door and dissapear into the dark passage.

"Thanks," I hear her say, then she closes the door. I immediately feel a presence.

"Ah," I say, tilting my head up and smiling, "I see 'ma petite ombre'(my little shadow) has followed me from Elfwood Palace."

A girl, maybe 14, steps out from the darkness, almost as if she was made of shadows themselves.

"I am not your 'little shadow'. And besides, our paths have crossed only a couple of times, Anii--"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY MY REAL NAME HERE GIRL!!!" I yell, making her fall to the floor, stuttering.

"I-I'm s-sorry! Y-you don't have to ye-yell at m-m-m-me!"

I glare at her, breathing heavily, "It's for your own safty, as well as mine. Names are powerful, remember that." I wet my lips and sigh. Then, I streak off into the darkness, leaving the girl to melt back into the shadows, tears glistening on her cheeks.

Nice time freezing, Elfie! :D

"We could have had it rolling! Rolling in the deep!" I was singing in my room.

I heard a knock on the door. It was a maid.

"You sing wonderfully!" she said.

Her hair was red and curly. She was wearing a bandana. Her skin was pale but now it had blisters, burns, cuts, and dirt and dust all over it. Her dress and apron were dirty. Her name was Alice. She is my favorite maid. Mistress said we can't be friends, but secretly she is my Bff.

"Thanks! What did you do today?" I said.

"So i woke up and had bread, water, and chesse. Misstress told me to buy eggs at the market, only eggs, and while I was at the market I found a $5 bill on the ground so I bought a muffin and milk! When I came back, I made and served lunch and cleaned the parlor. And now i am here," Alice said.

"I know we usually met each other, but why did you come so late?" I said.

"To tell you that it is almost curfew and to ask you why mistress treats you the best?" she said.

"IDK!" I said.

It was true. Mistress let me have the biggest and nicest room, the coolest clothes, and the best food.

"Well, good night!" Alice said.

After she left I got into bed.

At 3:00 A.M., I woke up and sneaked outside. I was going to the ocean.

When I got there, I jumped in the water!

My birthmark started to glow, then there was a big flash of light, and I was a mermaid!

It felt so good to feel the cool water, make my blue tail move and lose all my worries!

"Who's there?" a man said from out of the water. 

Ashling--

Isa-NO!! Don't say it! Don't tell! But Isa-NO!!!!!!!! Never, ever say my name. Never.

I wake up cold, and have to gather my thoughts before I remember where I am. I'm in the middle of the woods, sleeping next to a horse. Bleh. I conjure a fire to keep warm as I lead my tired horse to a path, and after a while, out of the woods. I extinguish the fire as a town comes into view. People look at me warily, suspicious of me. I reach instinctively for my belt, where there used to be a dagger. But Mistress took it when I was sold to her. I must remember to by a new one. I think as I look around. I have no money, but I do have talent. I take the small saddlebag off of my horse's back, and leave it open on the ground. Then, I perform again, like I did last night. But today, I'm not doing it because someone told me to. Now, this morning, I am free.

//Elfie//

The ashlings performance is excelent. The crowd loves it, but now it's my turn. She backs away, and I take the stage. Mistress raises an eyebrow at me, but I just stand there.

"Well?" she prompts me from across the room, "Perform!"

I smile. "I do not perform." I say.

She glares at me. "Yes- you- do." She says slowly, as if I was a very small and uncooperative child.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child," I warn quietly.

"Ha, I'm much older than you, I can talk to you however I want, I OWN you!" She cackles.

"Much older than me? MUCH older than me?! D you know who I am and how muh power I have? I could escape anytime I wanted too, and I could free all of you other slaves! Only I don't feel like it. I find your obliviousness entertaining."

"You? Don't make me laugh! I captured you myself, your feeble struggles were nothing a powerful being would sink to!! Your a show-off and a coward, trying to intimidate me when you have no real power."

"Don't, call, me, a, COWARD!!!" My last word reverberated through the hall, and all the candles turned from yellow, to black, filling the room with a watery light. "Do you know how many wars I've fought? Just so my people could have a place to sleep and food to eat and clothes to wear? I've watched beings that are supposed to be immortal die around me, thousands of them! I've led women and children into battle because of people like you. Ordering us exterminated so you can steal our land, or captured for your entertainment, and it's sick. You don't have any compassion, you don't care about anything or anyone but yourselves. There are only a handfull of my people left free, 600, at most. the rest of the thousands were slaughtered of captured. And now you drag me away from my people, in their time of greatest need! My mother lays dying, and I must be ther to take her place. I am the next Queen of Elves. I am Aniitalia!"

The people in the room cowered back, trying to fing a way out, for they all knew who Aniitalia was. The elven princess who had fought against human controll for 4509 years, who killed mercilesly people who she deemed to be causing the endless slaughter and imprisonment of elves, people like them. Sitting there gorging themselves on feasts while starving slaves performed for them, and elves and humans alike died on the battlefield.

"I will leave all of you alive this time, but I will see to it that you are ruined. All of your slaves are now free. I gave them the will and means to escape within the week. Then will all meet me at Elfwood Palace, where they will be cared for and then trained as spys. You will forget this night, you will all think that this never happened, not until you are ruined will you remember.

I smiled, and then vanished.

The light in the room turned back ot normal, and a small boy came onto the stage to perform for the unknowing crowd.

what happened with the fire in Mistress' house? Ashling set the hallway on fire, but no one's written about it yet. if you guys want we can say i didn't set anything on fire, but if we're keeping that part in there then someone else will have to write about it, because i'm already gone and don't know what happened there. :)

Leila~

My night was not going well.  I had a headache, so I left while Ashling was finishing up.  Of course, the hallway was on fire.  I sighed, and opened the wall.  I didn't like the secret passsageway, but I had a headache.  It was an emergency.  I went to my room to lie down.  After a while, I got up and went  to Clarissa's room to get her.  She wasn't there.  I sighed and went to the performance room to look for Hattie.  Everyone was running amok, and Elfie, the creature slated to be performing, was missing.  I sighed, sat down, and called for Darius.

Ok, so Mistress acts like slaves who perform? What do I do, sing? I just want to know those qustions cause I'm new.

Clarissa--

I put my head a little bit out of the water. It looks like an old man. "No one," he says. Then, he leaves.

I swim for an hour then go back to bed in the manor.

When I wake up, I hear somone knocking at my door. "Who is it?" I ask. "Shadow," she answers. "Come in," I say.

"I saw you sneak out last night. I had to go to the bathroom. I saw you going near the ocean, but that is all I saw. Why did you sneak out?" she says.

"I..." there was a knock on the door that made me stop talking. "Who is it?" I asked. "Alice," she answered. "Come in quick before Mistress sees you!" I say. She enters. "You guys are friends??!?!?!?" Shadow says. "Don't tell anyone but we are Bffs,"Alice says. "Ok..I won't tell. Bye," Shadow says and leaves.

"2 people and I haven't even got out of bed yet!" I say. "Wait and let me get changed," I say. "What's up?" I say. "Mistress wants you...NOW!" Alice said. We both left the room.

I went to Mistress's room and knocked. "Come in!" she says. "What is the matter?" I asked. "I know you sometimes sneak out in the afternoon.. . but is that it?" "Yes," I lie. "Why do you sneak out?" "I want to see where you found me. Why do you treat me so much better than the others?" I say. "You are the one I found near the ocean. I meet lots of nice people there...Like my dead husband...And he was so nice and so were the others I met by the ocean so I know you are nice but all of the other people I met had big secerts...Do you?" "No," I lied again.

Then she started talking about her husband when I saw a sliver key on the ground. I picked it up with my feet. "Now I have to go talk to the maids, so bye," she said. We both left the room. She went one way, I went the other. When she was out of sight, I tried to open her room. "Locked," I said. I put the key through the keyhole and the door opened!

I went inside and looked around. I found a box sealed shut and locked. I put the key in the lock and the box opened. Inside I saw a picture of her when she was little, a letter from her husband, and a note. I read in horror.

FIGURE OUT CLARSSIA'S SECRET

LOOK FOR CLUES IN HER ROOM.

She wasn't really talking to the maids, she was in my room! I saw another note that I wanted to read but I heard Mistress say "I forgot something". She was looking for her key in her purse. I had to figure out where to hide...but where?

Ashling--

With the money I earned performing that morning, I bought two apples, one for myself and one for the horse, who I had decided to call Dark Fire since I didn't know his real name. I didn't have quite enough for a dagger yet, so I rode Dark Fire out of the village, and we rode through a huge meadow full of wildflowers. On the other side of it lay another village, this one smaller than the first. The people in this town gave me little money for my performances, but it was enough to buy a little bread for lunch, so me and Dark Fire ate the bread before we rode on. We rode into and through another forest, and into a larger town. I earned a lot of money here, and by sundown I had enough money for a dagger and new clothes. I bought a dark red shirt and black pants to wear instead of my now stained dress. My dagger had a silver handle carved so that it looked like a snake was curled around it. I was still sad that I had left my parents' box behind, and I wondered if someone had found it yet, and who. I hoped no one had taken it to Mistress.

After I had changed into my new clothes, and put the new dagger and its sheath onto my belt, I rode Dark Fire back into the woods to sleep. I conjured a flame circle around me and the horse, to keep anything or anyone away from us during the night.

@Kat- Wow! You draw amazingly! I need to start practicing my mangas again, too!

Shadow-

That night I stayed in the mansion. I do not know where, and Ido not feel the need to describe it.

I made a mistake that night. My normally acute senses seemedto have left me, for I was oblivious to a parting that should not have takenplace.

A wail woke me from my light sleep. I melted through theshadowed walls, and found Mistress (alias Traitor of Man Kind) sunken back inher sofa.

A short girl with stringy mousy brown hair stood nervously infront of the woman. I went again unseen.

“You say she escaped?!” Mistress finally glared up at themaid.

“Yes.” Her voice was hardly a whisper.

“Go tell my men to form a search party. She must be found. Begone!” The woman waved her hand in a dramatic way, signaling the girl to leave.The maid flitted out of the room.

My job was not to follow the quivering maid, but to check myslowly forming hypthosis.

I ran down the hall way to the room I had visited just a daybefore.

I didn’t bother with the door, but passed through the shadowsand into the room.

A shock wave ran over me. Ashling had escaped. Her bed hadbeen left made, and all signs of life were gone.

I scanned the room, looking for some hint or clue to where shehad gone. The smallest shard of a dark cloth was left. I brought it to my noseand sniffed.

Yes, Ashling’s smell was there. The cloth belonged to her, andit was my key to finding her.

I melted into the shadows and climbed across the dew coveredroof. Then I soared down and began to drift through the woods.

The Ashen One had gone for, yet I had luck, for most of herride had brought her through the shadows of a dark forest. I could driftthrough time and space without a bit of trouble.

Her trail became newer and clearer as I went on. I followedthe trail, trying to stay in the shadows. After going down a sunny trail, Ihappily turned back to follow her trail that led into the wood.

I found her, the Ashen One, sleeping under a hallow tree. Asmall pit of fire lay before her. I knelt down, studying the girl’s peacefulface.

“Wake up, Ashen One.” I watched her eyes flutter open. Sleepstill lay on her lids. She rubbed them and suddenly jumped back in shock. Shehit the tree hard, but she didn’t seem to show pain.

“How did you get here? How did you follow me?” She bombardedme with questions.

“You forgot this.” I handed her the peace of cloth. Hershocked face told me that she did not understand.

I began to explain: “You must clear everything. A shadow, ifthey find a remainder of someone they search, the pure scent can guide themthrough the shadows.”

Ashling seemed amazed. “There is so much I don’t know…” Shemurmured.

“Yes, but your species confuses me just as mine does you.” Itold her.

Her sad face formed into asmall smile then it quickly became serious again. “Why are you here?” 

Leila~

With Darius gone looking for Ashling and the Shadow, I feel vulnerable.  I ask Clarissa to act as my bodyguard, but in reality, I only asked to keep an eye on her.  I never found anything in her room, but I did see her tattoo-ish thing.  It looks rather like a mermark.  I'm not convinced, though, because her favorite singer is half mermaid.  This may just be a tribute to her.  I think she knows why I keep her close.  She could never be a bodyguard.  She's more easily afraid than I am.

After that night, I don't know who to keep on my side.  Ashling has run away, and Shadow evidently followed her.  I thought Elfie was on my side, but the queen tells me the terror she called that night.  If that's not a defiant stunt, I don't know what is.  It seems the only one I can trust is Evan, the ex-Ashling.  He is never against me. 

Shadow appears behind me.  "Where have you been?!" I demand of her.  She nudges a basket of rolls toward me, as an explanation of where she's been.  I glare at her.  She just vanishes.

Darius runs in, dragging Ashling and a horse.

Ashling--

"Let go of me!" I screamed at Darius, but he only tightened his grip on my shoulder. Mistress rose from her chair and glared angrily at me. I glared back, refusing to accept defeat.

"Darius, why is there a horse in the hallway?" she asked the guard. He looked embarrassed.

"The Ashen One stole it, ma'am." He said. "I'll be bringing it back to the stables now."

"Thank you, Darius." Mistress turned her attention back to me as Darius threw me into the room and closed the door behind him. I could hear him leading Dark Fire down the corridor. "Where have you been?" she asked me threateningly.

"Not here." I told her. "And that is where I would like to return to, so if you don't mind...." I turned to open the door, but stopped when I felt Mistress' hand on my shoulder.

"Ashling," she said, "Come with me."

I didn't move. She soon decided to drag me along by my arm. I was going to burn her again, like I did the night of the performance for the Queen, but she was wearing fireproof gloves, as Darius had worn the other night. I cursed under my breath. Mistress took me to a room smaller than the one I had had before my escape, this one without a fireplace. Only a bed and a small table. Mistress threw me in and locked the door from the outside, leaving me in the dark.