The Fox Tamer

Chapter One : The Orphan

Layla waved happily with a bitter sweet feeling deep inside her chest as she said goodbye to Zara.

A little girl of twelve years old whom after seven years had finally found a family to call her own.

She watched as the Jameson family walked down the steps towards the large elegant gates of Fernwood Orphanage hand in hand with Zara.

Her new mother to her left and new father to her right as Zara beamed up at her parents with love and excitment. She was finally going home.

Zara paused in her steps and glanced over her shoulder. "A moment please." Zara said to her her parents, releasing thier hands.

Turning about the little girl ran at full force up the path, dashing up the concrete  steps.

Her arms flung up into the air and Layla knelt a bit to catch her fly hug. "I'm gonna miss you Miss Layla! But thank you so much!" Zara cheered through a fit of sniffles.

Layla gave her a gentle squeeze and set the girl back down to her feet, she gave Zara a firm nod. "I'll  miss you too. You be good now, ok?" She said sending her back off with a smile.

Zara turned to go back to her parents "you're  future is just outside those gates sugar. Go and take it." Layla urged. Zara beamed and ran back to her family.

Taking thier hands, they left the gates and got into the car.

Layla sighed and sucked in her tears, she'd been working here for ten years and this part, though her favorite part never got any easier.

Layla looked up at the old brick and stone orphanage behind her. It had stood for well over one hundred years in her family's name, they had found homes for thousands of wonderful children, and now....

Layla's eyes wandered back to the front gate as she spotted her mother walking a man in a grey suit to his car a deep frown on her face.

...now they might lose it all....

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A pair of siblings raced across lush green fields of a large estate. Both laughing heartily as between them softly glowing orbs of brightly colored fire flew. The gentle breeze of the day cause the tails of thier coats to flutter.

"Come now Bleu you've  yet to hit me once!" Called the brother with sand blonde hair with a lazy smile in his eyes.

Bleu narrowed his hazel eyes peering at his brother with indignant  irritation. "Well if a certain someone would stop his constant dodging..." Bleu's sharp voice said between his hard scowl.

A pastel ball of yellow flames collected within Bleu's palm, with a billowing motion the friendly fire zipped off towards his brother.

Yet, as he had numerous  time before the fire missed. "I said stop dodging, Dorian!" Bleu snapped.

Dorian laughed eyes crinckling, he gave his brother a gentle smile. "I'm  not dodging anything. Now, like three or four times before....I'm  sorry to say you simple just," Dorian shrugged and brought his horse to a trot, "missed me." He said.

Bleu stuck his nose in the air in a delicate motion and rolled his eyes "please, I have flawless aim." He said.

Dorian chuckled and shook his head. He would leave his brother some of his pride for now. But everyone knew very well that Bleu was the fightless Rainier, in a line of otherwise skilled Veterans, Illusionists, and Shieldvixens.

As the brothers rode along getting closer to the Rainier Manor  they could see the cut of their sister's stoically  elegant figure standing before the large silver gates.