#1 Shifters: The Iced City Of Canidae

Chapter Five: Familiar Face

A white fox head with marvelous green eyes happily twitched and wagged its tail, its open mouth was missing a tongue, yet the creature seemed happy.

"Mandy!" Nora leaped out of the hole and hugged Mandy, now in human form hugging Nora back. Nora sat back and used many hand signs along with words "What are you doing out here?! Where you hit by the snow? Are you okay?" Nora's strained voice lifted with excitement.

Mandy shook her head and responded with hand signals, but she did not speak, as is she was speechless, then it dawned apon Maine this was the person who saved Nora's life by sucking out the poison, loosing her tongue in the possess, Maine tried to follow along with the conversation but it felt very one sided to her.

"Oh! Mandy, this is Maine, my sister." Nora signed and said. Yet again Mandy did signs that Maine did not understand. "Yeah i was telling you before that i had a sister, remember?!" Nora laughed and Mandy's laugh was almost like little hiccups but still had that normal laugh.

Mandy turned to Main and signaled fast, Main just stared at Mandy's hands wondering how can she move her hands that fast.

Nora put her hand on Marines shoulder and smiled "She says, how did you find me all the way from Felenae? And hi, she says hi." Nora laughed. Maine never really realized it till now, but Nora's usual voice was faded and scratchy, like she swallowed a spiky frog, wich was a big difference now she was exited.

Maine stumbled for words "Mm, i ran away from home to fond Nora, i heard a lot about you, actually only a little, but enough to know your pretty cool." Nora and Mandy laughed again. Mandy did her rapid hand movements and at the exact time Nora spoke the words aloud.

"Ill take you guys to the edge of the canyons, you can tell me what this whole things about while we are walking." Nora translated. "But Mandy, its fine, we don't want another Serpantae attack." Now Mandy's actions where full of emotion and made Nora flinch. "Okay! Okay! geez, no need to go all Maymay on me!" Nora put her hands up in surrender and chuckled while Mandy had a superior look with her chin held up and her hand on her hip.

Mandy's smile fell as soon as she noticed Nora's hand, Mandy snatched Nora's hand and examined it. She growled and made quicker hand signals, Nora made slight flinches. "Sorry i couldn't tell you sooner Maymay..." Was all Nora could seem to say in her usual croaky voice and signal. Mandy's face was red with anger but just as quickly her angry face turned sad and gave Nora a comforting hug.

Maine tilted her head, she didn't understand why it was this big of a deal, loosing a hand, at least Nora got a replacement. When they parted Mandy made slower hand signals, rolling fists and hand slides, none of which made scene to Maine, and Nora shook her head, Maine knew that one. no. Mandy looked at me then at Nora and made more signals and Nora responded earning a small nod from Mandy.

Maine was trying to guess what they where saying, so in meantime, made up the conversations. "We're following starts to bastet knows where to do random stuff and save the day, no plus ones though." Maine laughed at herself. Nora walked over to Maine and smiled.

"Come on, we are going to camp mid way into the canyon, we are only a quarter of the way in." Nora grinned and rubbed the back of her head. Mandy manuvered her hands in various symbols to Maine.

"I don't understand, sorry." Maine smiles as she stood up.

Mandy looked thoughtful for a moment, slowly a crooked smile appeared on her face "I, ry, o, oor o ou." Followed by a laugh. Nora laughed too, Mandy was trying to talk as well as sign, but it came out in 'ahs' or 'oos' Maine smiled and nods.

"How about teaching me the basics?" Maine said "While we're walking." She added. Mandy nodded with a smile.

Whilst they where walking Mandy gave Maine some lessons of Canidian sign, things like help or hungry or funny, basic words that can be put into small sentences. Soon enough Maine learned, to Noras surprise, Maine was a fast learner.

Mandy nods 'we camp here tonight' she signed. Maine nodded and Nora simply plonked herself down. "Hey Nora why don't you li-" Nora tackled Maine down and held her mouth, Mandy thinking this was just a play fight chuckled.

Nora lent close to Maine's ear "She dosnt know." Nora hissed.

"Oh" Maine grinned getting back up.

"I'll go hunt, surely there's a rabbit or two about." Nora said getting off of Maine. Nora leapt to shift to her wolf, but mid shift a mangled help filled the air automatically shifting back into her human so the yelp turned into a loud cry of pain. "What the Frink!" Nora clutched her robotic hand and withered in the snow.

Immediately Mandy got up followed a second after by Maine, Mandy knelt down and put her hand on Noras shoulder. Slowly Nora sat up and looked at her robo hand in disdain. 'What on earth happened?' Mandy signed.

Nora winced and held out her arm, slowly shifting but reverted as sparks flew from the machinery. "My hand is busted..." it was silent for a moment, broken by a wheezing laughter from Nora. "I never thought I'd be saying that!" She laughed.

Mandy just shook her head in relief that her friend was ok. 'I'll, do the hunt tonight.' She signed and shifted gracefully into her pure white fox and dashed away. Nora sat there holding her metal hand staring after Mandy.

"Maybe you burnt a wire when you melted the ice?" Maine said.

Nora narrowed her eyes and peered into the arm. Noras head jerked up and looked at Maine in surprise "Your right!" She said as if she couldn't believe it.

Maine gave Nora one of their mothers famous deadpan looks that seem to run in the family blood line. Pitter patter of paws slowly got louder and Mandy came back with two rabbits in her jaw, happily twitching and waggling her tail. She shifted back to human 'dinner is served' she grinned.