Chapter Two

Armand and Miss Feather go deep into the forest to practice shape shifting and discover how easy it is for them.

      Miss Feather looked lovely standing there, smiling at me, the silver blue moon splash casting its shine upon her, giving her a shimmering look.

     “Armand!” Miss Feather said.

     “Miss Feather.” I leaped off the porch and landed beside her. “What's the game going to be?”

     She turned slightly and gazed into the shadowy forest. It was shimmering with the moon's silver blue splash, bathing the tops of the leaves and branches and creating moon shadows below.

     Then Miss Feather was looking at me again. “How about us try to shape shift? We've both only done it once.”

     I looked toward the forest. It looked so inviting. I caught the faint fragrance of deer on the breeze. Why not, I thought? I looked at Miss Feather. She had a hopeful excited look on her face. “Why not?” I said. “We could practice.”

     Miss Feather made a high sound of happiness. She put her hands together before her. “I'm so glad you said yes Armand. We do need to practice. My Mom said it would be easy once we reached maturity but who can say when that exactly is?”

     “No one.” I said standing beside her. I sniffed deeply of the night air. The scent of deer was calling to me, making me want to give chase, to hunt.

     I listened to the questing call of the owl, still no other owl responded to it. A pack of coyotes sang in the distance. The breeze was warm, inviting, flowing into the shadowy forest.

     All these things, the sounds,the scent and the breeze sang to me, sang through me and burned in me, and I burned with the desire to be Wolf.

     “Do you feel it, Miss Feather?”

     “Feel it?” she asked, looking up at me.

     Maybe she wasn't feeling it, I thought, maybe sweet Miss Feather wasn't mature enough yet to change.

     I breathed deeply of the dark warm air. “I feel the fire in me being ignited by the sounds, scents and feel of the darkness. I feel the fire to shape shift.” I shut my eyes.

     “Armand.” She said in a whisper. “I can feel it.”

     “Breathe deeply.”

     I heard her take a deep breath. I opened my eyes to look at her.

     “Yes. Yes. I think I can feel it. It's getting stronger in me.”

     “Let's move into the forest. I bet the desire will grow stronger there.” I suggested.

     “Okay.”

     We slipped into the forest and started walking. I reached out for Miss Feather's hand and her's closed in mine. We walked a ways, not talking, just taking in the sounds, sights and scents of this wilder place around us.

     There were Wolf People in the forest around us, from our Pack and Packs friendly to ours.

     Things had changed since I had been a Wolf Child. Packs formed friendships with other Packs now. My Mom had made that happen. And it was a change for the better.

     These Wolf People left us alone and we left them alone. We were all busy doing our own thing.

     The further we moved into the forest the less Wolf People around us. The scent of deer was strong. We were following it without even realizing it.

    An owl flew low over us on its hunt. The beating of its powerful wings sent drafts of air down onto us.

    The deer was just ahead. We came to a halt.

    “Shall we try? Here? Now?” I asked Miss Feather.

    She looked up at me, her black eyes shining with her excitement. “Yes!” She breathed.

    “Okay.” I said. I sure hoped this worked. I felt the overwhelming desire to change burning in my blood. How could it not work when my body wanted to change just as much as my heart and soul did, I wondered?

     We stopped and stood facing each other. Her black eyes seemed to glow in the dim forest. I was certain mine looked the same to her.

     I concentrated on becoming Wolf. I suddenly felt my body become tingly and flushed and then it felt liquidy. Then I was lower to the earth, on four legs instead of two, my senses seeming to be on fire with new stimuli.

     Before me stood a smaller beautiful Wolf. A grizzly colored Wolf with black eyes.

     Miss Feather! You are quite lovely in your Wolf Form. I said to her telepathically.

    Armand, you look quite handsome in your black coat with white hairs that make you look like you're covered with snow dust!

    Then hearing Miss Feather's soft giggle in my head she turned and loped off into the forest. Coming Armand? She asked.

    With an excited yelp I answered, Of course! and I was right behind her.

    Shape shifting had been so easy, so natural. We both must have reached maturity for it to have been so easy and so natural. I knew I'd never doubt my ability to change again!

    All my senses were heightened. Hearing, smelling, and just feeling the forest all around me. It was thrilling. I felt so much stronger and powerful as Wolf than I did in my Human Form.

    Miss Feather and I raced through the Douglas Fir and Broadleaf Maple forest easily, without effort.

    We never touched a single leaf, limb or any piece of foliage. We were like water, flowing by but never touching. Or I thought, more like air yet like neither since we didn't interact with the environment around us.

    We moved silently, as silently as possible for a living, breathing creature.

    This is thrilling! I heard Miss Feather say in my mind.

    We were running side by side now.

    Yes it is. I feel I can run forever and never grow exhausted. I said back to her.

    Tiredness doesn't apply to us in our Wolf Forms Miss Feather said. Her soft giggle followed her words.

    I smiled in my mind. Then the scent hit me. It was warm, musky in a good tasty way and I came to an abrupt halt. It was as if I had hit a wall almost.

    Miss Feather came to an equally abrupt halt.

    The scent of deer again and very close by!

Reviews

[Theresa]

I'm so happy that you continued with the story. I loved Armands character in the other books and like Star Wolf said its definitely cool seeing him mature. I like how he is so sweet towards Miss Feather. I think Miss Feather is like Louise especially since it was her idea to change into their wolf forms. Can't wait to read on.

[Black Cat Fever]

Ah, young love, as they say. Miss Feather and Armand make a cute and happy couple as they discover their Wolf People nature, the shape shifting part.

[Star Wolf]

It's cool seeing Armand on the threshold of maturity. Looking forward to seeing what kind of young Wolf Person he will be.

[trish420]

OOH! Will it be their first big kill?? I like being there as he learns about himself too! Great chapter, good imagery. :-)

Little Armand has grown allot since we last saw him. He seems to be getting a hang of his physiology quite well.