*Bez Soznaniya Krasa* Mistik Refuge (BurningWillows & Georgie_Leech)

"I wouldn't get lost," Nina smiled, even though she wasn't completely sure of her words, "But for now I'll stick to a tour. I can run later. Maybe when it gets a little darker. Harder for a white wolf to hide in clear daylight, right?"

She saw him look around and realized too late that there could be people walking around. She was speaking normally, but still loud enough that anyone within visual range could hear her.

"So, ah um tour then?" Nina asked, feeling embarrassed for the billionth time that day.

Tour

With the tour over, and the day coming to an end, Nina finally felt herself relax. Her stomach was full of rabbit, the forest around her gave her comfort, and she fell easily into sleep.

There was pain. Pain in the bones crunching under her; pain in the howl that became a cry as her voice changed from wolf to girl. Then there was the cold. The icy snow seeped coldness into her bare bones, leaving Nina shivering in the Russian weather. A crackle of branches behind her made her swing around, jumping up awkwardly on her two legs.

A young boy appeared, with light brown hair and jade green eyes. He huffed and nodded at her, handing her a bundle of cloth. They had prepared this time: stolen clothing from the small village north that they hoped would fit their ever growing bodies.

She pulled on the rough fabric over her legs, and a softer piece over her chest. He had brought her covers for her feet too and she slipped them on, feeling uncomfortable in the cage of fabrics, yet warm. He chuffed at her when she was finished, galloping off towards the same village they had taken the clothes. She raced after him, leaping gracefully over fallen logs, although she slipped a few times due to her two legged form.

They reached the village, sneaking through the shadows to remain unnoticed. They could hear humans talking, and someone making a shrill noise that seemed to reverberate through their throat. She ignored the noises and focused on her kin. He was sniffing the air, his head twisting left and right. He had wanted to show her something…

The dream around her swirled and went dark, before a small candlelight brought Nina back. She was sitting at a table now, engrossed in a book among many, surrounded by even more piled on shelves.

“Aiden,” she whispered, testing the name again with a smile.

“Katerina,” he whispered back with an equally childish grin.

They were older now, in their early teens. Aiden’s hair was getting longer, hiding his ears. Katerina’s hair seemed unnaturally long, hanging down to her chest. It felt awkward and heavy on her neck, but she didn’t dare to complain. Her father would disapprove if he found out.

She pointed at the book she was reading, handing it over to her cousin. He read the page, smiling and nodding before handing it back. She was reading about wolves. Some of it was absolute nonsense, and yet much of it was correct. Nina was surprised the humans knew this much.

“Aiden,” she laughed again, enjoying the new sensation of words on her tongue.

“Fokus Katerina,” he scolded, his nose burying deeper into a book…

Again the scene swirled to darkness, reminding Nina she was dreaming. All too soon she was pulled into another memory, staring at her sixteen year old self in a mirror.

“Kak vy priobreli eto mesto?” she asked in Russian but she also heard it in English, like there was an echo in the room, “How did you buy this place?”

Aiden’s voice called out from another room “I’ve been saving money since our first Change. Stuff I've been selling to shops. Shiny, new things…and possibly stolen.”

“Aiden!”

The English echo was getting more defined, drowning out the original Russian.

“Well, we need somewhere to stay when we are human. Our Changes are getting longer Nina.”

“We can’t live here though. The pack needs us.”

“Needs you.”

She heard the pain in his words but pushed it aside. They had this fight too often, “How will you keep this place?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“How long do you plan to stay here? In Moscow?”

“I can hold out for a week.”

“A week! You are going to hold off the Change for a week! Aiden!”

“I can do it!”

“Well I can’t. My father is waiting me.”

“Than when are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow…”

The dream swirled but didn’t go dark. Instead she remained in Aiden’s apartment, but just speaking she could tell she had grown again, “Aiden?”

The house was dead quiet and a tremor of terror ran through here. She knew this memory. She had relived it countless times. And yet, as she clung to the thought that it shouldn’t bother her, the empty silence crept into her bones and made her shiver.

“Aiden?” she called out again, her voice more urgent.

She raced forward, searching each room with more desperation as it became clear she was alone. Nina willed the dream to quit there but something pushed her towards Aiden's room, making her swing the door open involuntary. On the bed was a small blue envelope with tiny letters spelling out 'Katerina'. Inside was a letter, a letter she still had hidden under her pillow to this day. The letters were small, and in Russian but Nina knew them by heart.

Nina,

I'm going on vacation to North America. Please don't follow me. I have friends here, and I'm safe. Take care of the house while I'm gone. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, but you don't come around anymore like you use to. Take care of yourself.

Aiden.

Tears slid down her eyes as she stared at the letter, disbelief running through her. She should've come sooner. Seen him more often. Fought for his spot in the pack! And under all the worries, apart from her dream, Nina's heart clenched in fear.

She'd never see him again.

Mor awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. As the sun rose over his usual morning routine, he reviewed his list of tasks for the day. Miss Jones said that I have an appointment later on this morning with a prospective client, and I should probably be prepared in case of a sudden visit from Nina at some point. I should also find time to review my notes on werewolves again, and add in my observations and hypotheses from yesterday. All in all, it was an unusually short list for a Saturday. Mor was looking forward to having an easy weekend for a change.

Taryn woke up late, which was unusual. She rarely slept in, and even on days she could she was always up by nine. Yet when she finally yawned and stretch, the clock on her nightstand blared the number 10:27 in red.

“Shit,” Taryn muttered, stumbling out of her bed and into the bathroom.

She quickly showered, hoping to wash away yesterday’s events. When she stepped out of the warm water she cast a quick look at her mirror and could see the dark circles under here eyes. Today is going to be so much fun.

In an hour she was fed, dressed, and heading out the door with Jess’ computer in her arms. She didn’t know what to expect of this doctor, but she wanted to be prepared. She wore a well fitted violet backless dress that fell halfway down her thigh and around her neck as a halter. She paired it with short black heels, and let her hair fall down in waves around her shoulders. Taking the elevator to the main floor, her heels clacked against the marble flooring as she hurried to the main doors. She had been in such a flurry last night she had parked on the street instead of the underground parking her apartment provided. It didn’t matter now; it just saved her time.

She reached the car before the events of yesterday piled up on her and tears threatened to spill again. How could he be gone? Taryn got into the driver’s seat and just sat there, letting the tears roll down as she tried to regain some composure. She wasn’t sure when she’d ever be okay with this. Yet again she was alone.

Eventually she pulled herself out of her thoughts and started the car, noting that she only had a little under forty-five minutes to get to her appointment. She plugged in the coordinates in her phone for directions, and pulled away from the curb.

An hour later, she was biting back curses as she turned down another wrong road. Her phone had already been flung into the back seat at some point, deeming useless outside Toronto. How could a refuge be this hard to find? Was there some hidden entrance?

Taryn returned to the small road, taking the next right. She was about to scream when the road seemed to stretch on and on, but finally in the distance she could see a clearing opening up. In the middle of the clearing was a tall, round-looking building, with tall windows and a wooden theme. Sighing in relief, Taryn found a quick parking spot beside another vehicle and stepped out. Grabbing her purse, computer, and the few papers she had also brought, she scurried inside.

“I’m so sorry,” Taryn breathed, reaching the main desk, “I’m late for an appointment. I know. Please tell me I can still see him?”

The young secretary looked slightly taken aback, like Taryn had spooked her, “Are you…Taryn?”

“Yes,” Taryn nodded, “Do I have to reschedule or can I still see Dr. Mor?”

“Hold on,” the girl, looking no older than a college student, picked up a phone and dialed a few numbers, “If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll tell him you are here.”


Nina woke, feeling refreshed and oddly peaceful. It took her a few minutes to realize she was still in the forest, her fur damp with morning dew. Shaking it off, she stretched and yawned. It had been such a long time since she spent the night amongst the trees. As she got up her ears picked up a scurrying sound, and a few birds chirping. The sun danced between the trees, lighting up the forest around her. She was protected where she slept, surrounded by brush. Jumping over it, she scared a fox that yipped and ran off.

Food. Need food.

She contemplated Changing and just going into the cafeteria, but her stomach growled loudly and she wasn’t sure she could wait that long. Nina wandered a bit, until her nose caught the trail of a rabbit and she bounded off, her mind shutting all else off but the chase…

The Change felt slightly less painful on a full stomach, but Nina also had a lot on her mind. For one, her clothes had dirt and grass stains and she knew it wouldn’t go unnoticed. She also noticed a voicemail on her phone from an unknown number and two messages from Derek, asking her to explain what happened at the pub. She quickly sent him the detailed story of what happened, than checked her voicemail.

“Hey Katerina,” a female voice, “Its Ariel. Call me when you get a chance, k? Just have a few questions for the website. Thanks. Bye.”

Nina decided to call later, wanting to pick her way out of the forest first. By the time she found the clearing her stomach was already acting up, and she beelined to the cafeteria, hoping breakfast was still be served.

On his way to the lodge, Mor stopped to ask Aras to keep something warm for Nina, since he knew that if she showed up, she would be hungry. Otherwise, nothing interrupted him as he went to record his observations in electronic form. He had jotted them down on paper before he fell asleep the night before, but he preferred to have multiple copies if possible. He then brainstormed and planned for possible ways to study and test his theories. It might be pushing the spirit of my promise a bit, but I'm not going to actually be performing these any time soon. There's no reason I can't be ready for later, after all.

Mor worked in office as the time for his interview with the client came and went. He wasn't worried. Mistik is a little hard to find by design, after all. I imagine the girl, Taryn... Bonami, I think the name was, is just a little lost. Sure enough, before 20 minutes had gone by, the small phone on his desk rang. He answered in a professional tone. "Good afternoon, Dr. Mor speaking."

"Um, it's just me, sir." Miss Jones was one of the few people with the direct number for this line. "Your noon appointment is here now. Uh, can she still see you, or is it, you know, better to reschedule?"

"Now is a perfectly fine time. If you could direct her to the lounge area, I'll be up shortly." True to his word, Mor saved his work, filed away his papers, and climbed the stairs. Walking around from the art side, he spotted a girl vaguely Middle Eastern in appearance. Ah, this must be Taryn. "Good afternoon, Miss Bomani." He sat in one of the chairs opposite the girl. "I hope you had a pleasant drive in?"

"Please call me Taryn," she extended her hand to shake his, "Bomani is just the name my last adoptive parents gave me."

Why was she already telling him her life story?

"Uh, I was hoping I could speak to you privately," she tried to smile but faltered as she finally looked up at him.

He was young, maybe in his twenties, with with blond hair tied back and a well pressed shirt that fit him perfectly. But it was his eyes that caught her off guard; they were a shade of grey, framed by wired glasses. She knew those eyes...from somewhere.

Taryn shook the thought off and clutched the laptop a little tighter, "Is there anywhere else we can go?"


When she arrived in the kitchen Aras was busying himself with cleaning up the kitchen.

"I missed breakfast," Nina's head and shoulders fell slightly as she muttered to herself, disappointed.

"Girl," Aras spoke up, waving a hand at her, "Here."

A tray appeared on the counter, piled high with a plate of eggs, sausage and bacon, and another plate with a stack of pancakes. A large glass of orange juice and a tiny pitcher of syrup topped it off and Nina couldn't help but give her most dazzling smile to the cook, "Thank you."

She hurried away, finding a spot in the quiet cafeteria. Having no deadline to find Drew, she savored her meal and ate slowly, enjoying her beautiful morning.

Mor felt his eyebrow rise. Confidential already? "Certainly. Unfortunately I don't have anywhere particularly well suited to one-on-one conversation yet." The therapy building should be completed some time next year though. "You could step into my office for a bit, though it's a bit cramped, or we could step outside. Which would you prefer?"

Taryn looked out the large windows, and seeing the sun playing on the grass wanted to bathe in its warm glow while she told all her findings to this complete stranger. But the thought of Jess on the ground...on the man in her apartment the night before...no amount of sunshine could erase that. Taryn face drained of any momentary relief and she looked back at him, setting her jaw and controlling her emotions so he couldn't see anything behind her eyes.

"Your office will be fine. Please."

Mor chose not to say anything about the haunted look that flashed over Miss Bomani's face. His thoughts had no such restraint. Is it possible that she's suffering from some sort of emotional instability? Perhaps depression, or PTSD? He mentally kicked himself. It's far too early to make any assumptions. Anything you theorise now could bias you towards said theories, as you look for evidence to prove them right. Better to make no assumptions at all. "Right this way, Miss Taryn."

Mor led the way to his office, grabbing a stool from the art area along the way. Once downstairs, he indicated she should sit before settling into his own chair, a simple swivel chair found in most offices. "Now what can I do for you today?"

Suddenly alone, Taryn's mind went blank, and she clutched the laptop tightly to her chest. Opening her bag, she pretended to search for something, feeling the hammering of her heart beat.

What did she want? She wanted to talk to him. Why? Hell if I know. No, you have an idea. A small, stupid idea.

"Uh," Taryn sighed, not sure where to start, "I guess I'll start at the beginning. Do you know a Jaihessika Déntro?"

Mor looked confused. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by that name." This is unusual, to say the least. I wonder who this person is to her. Perhaps something related to why she's upset?

His words made her want to groan. What the hell has Jess pulled me into?

"What about Oriaen?" she asked and saw the confusion on his face and finally lost it, "Seriously? I was sent here...to you, and you don't even know these names? Damn it Jess!"

Tears prickled the corners of her eyes but she pushed past them, "Think hard. Please. She went by Jess to most. Blonde. Small frame, cute face with green eyes," anger replaced her sadness, "She can't have led me here for nothing! She left me a note...she said she was on a mission. And that you should know what Oriaen meant."

Her anger flared even more at his lost look, "Nothing? At all? I was sent on a fucking wild goose chase from my dead friend who just happened to be attacked from a crazed serial killer, and this is what I get. Nothing. A complete waste of my time."

"I'm truly sorry, I don't know this Or-aine either." Mor recognised that she was almost on the verge of a breakdown, and so didn't interrupt her when she started ranting. Part of him listened, while another analysed what he'd seen so far What on earth is she talking about? The green eyes are little unusual, but... Mission? Involving me? What... Mor frowned and held up a hand. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that last part?" I must have misheard that.

She breathed, trying to slow her words but they still came out harsher than she wanted, "My friend...she sent me here, to you, on some mission she told me nothing about. Not that I can ask her, because she...she died."

Taryn closed her eyes, rubbing her temples with her free hand, "I'm sorry I wasted your time. And that I yelled at you-"

She stopped mid sentence, jumping up impulsively and opening the laptop, typing furiously into the computer until she found what she was looking for. A picture. It was one Taryn had actually taken when they had spent a weekend camping with some others from work. Jess was hanging upside down from a tree branch, her eyes bright green, looking radiant as always. She seemed completely at home then, but now Taryn knew why.
She had searched the term 'dryad' the night before, and seeing this picture of Jess reminded her of how much her friend adored nature. She set the laptop down in front of Dr. Mor, hoping seeing her face would trigger anything.

Mor had been starting to suspect he might have been dealing with a schizophrenic, but the picture gave him pause. That... is a very familiar shade of green. Mor did his best to keep a straight face, and not reveal any of the inner turmoil seeing the picture caused. "I'm sorry to hear that you lost a friend. I'm sorry to say that I don't know this girl. Although..." Mor added up a few of the more unusual facts and decided to take a gamble. "I don't want to bring up bad memories, but do you recall anything... unusual, about this girl?"

Yes. No. Well of course, she was a supernatural. No wait, I can't say that to him! Taryn fought with herself, trying to come up with something to say. His question had thrown her off. Just his wording...was it possible he did know her, and he was trying to gauge how much to tell her? Why wouldn't he come out and just say he recognized her.

Th night before flashed through her mind and she felt the familiar twinge of fear and swallowed it, keeping control of her powers. Was it possible this doctor was connected to the man in Jess' apartment last night? Or worse, the serial killer? Jess had never left why she wanted to send a message to Dr. Mor. She didn't even know what kind of doctor he was, and the gravity of the situation she had created begin to hit her. She was yelling nonsense at a stranger, someone she knew nothing about. She was practically handing everything about Jess over to him, without knowing what he would do with it.

Shit.

"Nothing really comes to mind," Taryn started, the lie rolling off her tongue with ease, "She was like every city girl. I only knew her at work. Maybe she had another doctor with the same name, " she grabbed the laptop and shut it,"She had a liking for camping, but many people do."

She turned to grab for her papers she had left on the chair but fumbled and sent them flying around the room, landing everywhere. If matters couldn't get worse... she groaned.

Immediately calm and collected, followed by the same excited energy from earlier? I'd be shocked if she was doing that for a reason other than hiding what she originally wanted to say. Of course she doesn't trust me. Mor let out a faint sigh. "Miss Taryn, I truly want to help. Take a deep breath and count to seven slowly." He spoke quietly and calmly. "Would you like me to help you pick up the papers?"

Taryn breathed out loudly, trying to count to seven but failing, "N-no...please let me pick these up."

There were more papers than she realized she had printed off. She tried to hurriedly pick them up but they were spread out and she couldn't grab each paper fast enough.

Mor caught a glimpse of a list of names, apparently organised around letters printed beside them, before he reminded himself that he needed to respect her privacy. He continued to speak calmly and softly; he could recognise the beginnings of a mental breakdown, and hoped to avoid it. "I understand that coming here must have been extremely difficult for you. Believe me when I say that I mean you no harm and will help you if I can. Even if it's just someone to scream or at or a shoulder to cry on." If my suspicions are correct, this... J-eye Hessica may have just dragged this poor girl into something far deeper than most normal people are ready to face. "Please, will you let me help you?"

She kept her head down as the tears started again, biting on her lower lips to stop from sobbing. Her hands were shaking so badly she was amazed she was able to pick up the rest of the papers. She kept her back to him, organizes the sheets again and trying to calm her nerves. She looked down at her hands and noticed they were slightly transparent. She was losing control here. She too a deep breath, counting to seven softly before wiping her eyes and turning around.

"I'm sorry Dr. Mor-"

Breathe Taryn breathe.

"-I lost myself there for a second-"

Stay calm.

"-and didn't mean to raise my voice or toss these papers."

Keep it together. Just keep it together.

"Jess didn't give me much to work on, and when I googled your name I found your website. I never checked to see if she had been here before though-"

Oh god, I'm losing it. Can he see through me? Have I turned to smoke yet?

"-and it is possible you don't know her at all-"

Almost done...

"So I'll just be going. I'm sorry for wasting your-"

A loud bang outside the office scared Taryn and she jumped, losing the last tendrils of control she had. She looked down in time to see her feet becoming more transparent and backed into the wall, moving until she was semi hidden in the corner behind a plant. Dr. Mor looked momentarily distracted by the noise too, and she took the chance to fall to the floor with her knees curled up to her chin. Her body became smoke, even the papers and laptop in her arms losing their solidity. Instantly she was hidden in the corner, completely unseeable in the shadows.

Mor was quite startled by the sudden bang that echoed down the steps. What on earth was that?! He waited a few moments to see if anyone was coming down the stairs, then checked on Miss Taryn. "Are you alright Miss Tar... Miss Taryn?" He couldn't see her in the office. I was just talking to her, the door hasn't opened yet, so she can't have gone far. I should still be able to see her... Abruptly, Mor realised what might have happened to the girl and laughed self-consciously for his prior assumptions. "If you are in fact still in here, Miss Taryn, you can come out now. There doesn't seem to be any immediate danger. I'm now more confident I'll be able to help you." All that time spent patiently searching, and now supernaturals are apparently popping up left and right.

Nina had polished off her breakfast before finally checking the time. it was already close to one pm, much later than she had assumed. She was curious as to why Drew hadn't found her yet, and handing over her tray to Aras, she decided to seek him out. It didn't take long -a quick talk with the secretary told her where he was- and she was on her way down to his office in the basement. She paused at the last step when her hearing caught a female voice rising and than Drew trying to calm her down. Maybe a new client?

She didn't want to barge in, but her curiousity got the better of her and she took the last step down, moving towards the office door slowly. Drew had been smart when he built his office as it was obviously soundproof with how the words seemed muddled even with her hearing. Still she strained to hear what was being spoken. Too focused on eavesdropping, Nina didn't notice the stack of boxes beside her until her elbow caught one and knocked it loose, sending it clattering to the ground loudly. She swore under her breath in Russian, picking up the box and restoring it to its place. Well now everyone knows where I am so...

She strode forward, grabbing the doorknob and twisted it before letting the door swing in enough for her to poke her blonde head through, "Sorry Drew."


Dr. Mor's words unsettled her but his easy laugh made her doubt any of his intentions were bad. Taryn wanted to come out of her spot and suddenly explain everything but before she could act on impulse the door swung open and a older woman with platinum blonde hair so light it almost looked white popped her head in.

"Sorry Drew," she smiled, her eyes scanning the room, "Did I scare off the client?"

Scared? Definitely.

Mor ran his fingers through his hair and let out a breath. "Possibly, yeah. In the future, I'd appreciate if you left me alone when I'm with an appointment unless it's an emergency; you wouldn't enjoy your own sessions being interrupted," he gently chided her. "In any case, if you are still around, Miss Taryn, this is Nina Silvka, another one of my clients." Mor noticed one of the leaves on the plant shift slightly, as if something had pushed on it. He turned to Nina. "Can whatever you need wait? I'll introduce her to you later, if she decides to see this through."

Nina felt put out, but also understood where he was coming from.

"I'll come back later," she murmured, following his gaze to the tree and staring at the corner for an extra few seconds, "I'm pretty sure your client is still here anyways."

The corner was oddly dark for a well lit room, but Drew seemed to notice that too, and a werewolf wasn't going to help him coax her out of hiding. She quietly shut the door and scurried upstairs, looking for something to do. A man around her age with chest length straight brown hair and a bandana tied around his head smiled at her as she emerged from the basement.

"Your new," he smiled, his arms full of paints and brushes, "Coming to the art session today?"

She hadn't planned on it, but it was something. Nina followed the strange man into the area Drew had shown her the day before. Only two other people were there, painting on small canvases. Her guide took a medium sized canvas from a small pile of them on a table and gestured to her, "Courtesy of Mistik Refuge man. Take whatever size suits you."

"I'm not a man," Nina growled, looking through the pile.

"It's an expression man," the guy laughed, walking away.

Still not male, Nina thought, picking out a larger canvas and pulling it over to a cleared space of floor, setting it down. Others were using easels, or tables, but she always preferred the floor. Not that she did much art, but it felt more natural to sit on the floor over a chair. Borrowing a small box of charcoals from a women painting a bowl of fruit she set to work, losing herself in her work as she tuned the rest of the world out.


When the women left, Taryn waited a few more moments hoping Dr. Mor would look away. Finally he turned his eyes to something on his desk and she felt herself come back to human form, her body shivering slightly from the effort to keep control.

"Sorry," she muttered, and saw him jump so slightly she almost missed it.

"Oops," she breathed, "I do that a lot to people. They can forget I'm here when I do...well that."

Mor hadn't expected Miss Taryn to respond so suddenly. It was a very smooth effect; the second he looked away, there was suddenly a girl talking to him. "It's alright, Miss Taryn. For a number of reasons, such abilities can be... difficult to control." Mor returned to sitting in the chair, and indicated she should do the same. "Believe it or not, this actually makes things a bit more clear. You see, unlike most people, I'm aware of the supernatural community." In fact, I'm somewhat of an expert, given my background, he thought wryly. "Actually I built Mistik Refuge as a sort of haven for supernaturals, a safe place to relax, not have to worry about appearances, and be able to... well, be themselves, within reason. If you don't mind me asking what sort of background do you have?"