back after grieving.

Sharifa Ibn'La-Ahad.

She's been gone form CdS for a long time now.

The woman had to go back home...To see her family.....and be there for the funeral of her child and grandchildren that she had lost an attack by a new Lycan Pack trying to gain territory.

The fighting had still been going on when she had arrived...it was a massacre.

Sharfia now sported new scars, and darker clothing, the red being cut from her outfit and replaced with gold, the leather top she wore now changed with a metallic one with a black hood, her gauntlets still in place, and trousers replaced with skin tight ones and a black skirt made of light nearly see through materials over the top.

However...the most significant changes to her appearance was her entire body, including the left side of her face was tattooed with the Qu'ran, and she was no longer grinning.

Altair still sat on her shoulder, and she still had her scimitars, but this wasn't the same woman that had left a while back.

Altair chirruped softly, nuzzling Sharifa's face and she reached up to stroke him, giving him a soft smile.

"Don't worry Altair....I will be fine....I just need to stay away longer as I'm still hunted back home...even if i wish to stay with my remaining family." She murmured softly.

She looked forwards toward the mansion.

Not much had changed besides the fact she could now smell Lycans, Elves, and Necromancers.

She arched an Eyebrow....it seemed that Giacanto had sorted out various problems in her absence...She was convinced she'd be coming back to the aftermath of a war.

Well...she was glad to not be....She didn't want to smell death for a little while.

Just then, she felt the presence of someone near by and approaching...she pretended she hadn't noticed, and when they were close enough, she moved.

suddenly, she had pinned someone against a tree, her arm against their neck and her scimitar drawn and poised for attack.

That was when she realised it was just a Fledgling.

her hard golden eyes looked him over for a moment before stepping back and letting him breath again.

"Who are you?" Was her first question...not a friendly greeting like she had given when she first came here.

Jean-Claude needed to get away for a few hours.

He had shoved some of his comics in a rucksack and made a bee line for the forest. The forest would be quiet and he doubted anyone would be out there trying to hound him for this reason or that.

He may get some peace.

The dream of piece was shattered when he was pushed back against a tree.

He stared at the woman with wide, wild eyes, clawing at her arm to try and get her to release him.

The German man gasped and rubbed his neck, slumping back against the tree when he was freed. "I'm not your rag doll to toss around, that's for sure," he replied indignantly. He didn't like being tossed about and pinned against trees.

Sharifa felt her eyebrow twitch and was about to say something when Altair nipped her ear, making her look over.

Sharifa and him had a bit of a glaring competition before Sharifa huffed and closed her eyes.

Reaching down to a pouch on her belt, she pulled out a cuban and lit it up with a flame at the end of a finger.

"Tch. Without a name, you're Brat to me. I'm Sharifa Ibn'La-Ahad. I'm going to assume you're part of the Coven here, yes?...Maybe you could tell me about the other species I can smell...That is...if you don't mind of course." Sharifa said, leaning back against a tree and crossing her arms as she smoked.

Altair missed the time when Sharifa was brighter than this...but he couldn't blame her for her current mood.

She'd just lost something that meant a great deal to her.

"I'm just a brat to everyone here," he growled softly.

It had already been established that he was a child compared to everyone else. He was sick of people looking down on him like a child. He wasn't one. He was twenty seven; an adult.

He hoisted his bag further up over his shoulder and turned to leave. "Other species? You mean other than vampires? I dunno; they've been living here for longer than I have.

Sharifa gave a small chuckle.

"I don't refer to your Physical Age. Merely your actions and attitude." She explained with a small smile.

Altair chirruped a little and flapped his wings slightly before settling.

Sharifa reached up and stoked the Eagle and muttered a few things to him in Arabic before turning her gaze back to the Fledgling.

"So have you been here long?....If not it must mean it's a fairly recent occurance." Sharifa murmured, tapping some ash off of the end of her cigar.

She then pulled another one out and offered it to the Fledgling in a silent olive branch.

Sharifa knew she was being a dick...

"Oh yes, trying to claw your arm from my throat so I can breath is a very childish thing to do," he replied sarcastically.

He shrugged again, hoisting his rucksack just a little further up his shoulder.

"I dunno, a couple months maybe? I haven't really been keeping track."

"I didn't mean that. What I mean is your attitude...for example now. It reminds me of a brat. Act less like one and others may stop calling you such things." Sharifa said with a shrug.

shrugging again, she took back her cuban and stowed it away.

"I see. I've been gone longer than it seems..." she murmured.

Altair decided to inspect this other Fledgling more closely.

at 900 years old, he knew how to evaluate a person.

He flew from her shoulder and onto the ground before looking up at Sharifa.

Sharifa pulled her hood up and nodded, her golden eyes glowing as she sucked on her Cuban.

Altair chirruped and then began glowing.

Altair gave a loud screech and he began growing, the light surrounding him.

Wings turned to arm, talons turned to feet as his legs lengthened a thickened. his beak developed into a human mouth and feathered turned to hair and skin.

By the time the light faded, there stood a very attractive Arabian male in nothing but a pair of golden trousers, his dark skinned decorated with runic tattoos, his eyes golden like Sharifa's, and features sharp.

Moving his limbs and clicking his joints, he eventually turned to look at the little Fledgling.

Altair arched an eyebrow and silently evaluated him.

"Young.....one that has been through much in your short years....strong headed.....confident....however, very nervous around others that are older than yourself, though you will hold your ground against them if they insult you. Just like what you're doing with Sharifa.....who is well over 850 years old in counting. She is someone who could destroy you with just a twitch of the finger, yet you show her sarcasm...i'm unsure if this is bravery....or foolishness... Altair said with a thick and heavy accent, but still understandable.

His words rung with a certain power of being a creature more than what he appeared.

Both Altair's and Sharifa's eyes flashed bright gold.

"You didn't know anything about my attitude when you called me a brat. You attacked me then insulted me. If anyone, you were the brat."

He wasn't afraid to call people out if he knew they were in the wrong.

Jean-Claude watched the bird as it transformed. He was rather unimpressed with the supernatural after being one for a few months. Transformations would have baffled and interested him a few months ago.

He bristled. "Don't assume things about me. What makes you think I'm nervous? I've been in more nerve racking situations than this without feeling nervous in the slightest." And it was true. He wasn't nervous at all. He was annoyed.

He wanted peace and these two had just waltzed up, attacked him and started pestering him.

He had had more than enough and showed it by promptly turning and stalking away, deeper into the forest.

Altair looked over his shoulder at Sharifa and gestured to the vampire walking away, archin an eyebrow.

"Do something about it....wake up from your grieving."

Sharifa sighed heavily and headbutt a tree.

Stubbing her Cigar out on the metal plates of her gauntlets, she took a step forwards and reached out.

"Hey! agh.....I....I'm sorry, okay? Things have been rough I guess. I've been in a shit mood. I don't usually mean to be such a dick to others." she said, running her hand through her hair and pushing back down her hood.

She wanted to get back to normal..which was another reason why she came back to CdS...to get back to normal.

"Shit happens. Don't take it out on others. It leaves you without any friends."

He faltered in his step then stopped all together. "Trust me on that one."

He had done that and ended up with no one. As pissed off as he was with her at the moment, he didn't like seeing others make the same mistakes as he had done.

Jean-Claude starred ahead silently, clutching at the strap of his rucksack.

Sharifa faulted and bit her lip.

"not every day you loose one child and two grandchildren when you left for a short while." She mumbled, mainly to herself under her breath.

Sharifa looked back up, gesturing for Altair to go back to his bird form, and let him settle back on her shoulder.

Reaching up she stroked his feathers.

"But yes...you're right. Please excuse my rudeness." She said more clearly.

Altair hopped off of Sharifa's shoulder and flew over to the other's shoulder and nipped at his ear in apology as well.

Being Sharifa's Guardian means her emotions and thoughts channel through him and affect him as well.

That was the one thing he hated about their connection.

Jean-Claude hadn't heard the words, only her tone had carried to his ears.

He didn't really care to listen to them, either. They were probably some words designed to make him pity and coddle her.

He nodded, slowly turning to meet her gaze again.

The Fledgeling shifted uncomfortably when Altair settled on his shoulder. He had never been much of a fan of birds. He had always liked cats.