What Are You?

Niq hated the snow, he hated winter just as much as he hated the rain. He had just begun he morning hunt in the damn slush, he loved it when it snowed and how everything was covered in a blanket of white but he hated feeling it on his paws, this was he worst time to hunt because either all the prey was gone and all he could catch was a hare most of the time and if he found a decent meal it would be frozen solid from the cold.

He gave a huff as he stood on one of the outcropped rocks and looked over the small valley he lived in, if he could just find a decent meal to bring back to his den he would be set for a few days, the small deer herds that lived here in the forest had gone deep into the forest before he had even got up. As he scanned the valley below he watched for any movement and listened for any sound, as his ice colored eyes scanned around he spotted something that was not supposed to be there, a average sized horse drank from the stream that crossed the valley.

A low growl tore through him as he jumped down from the rock landing on the snow covered ground below with a silent thud and raced towards the horse, or whatever it was. He couldn't tell if it was a horse or not from smell alone it had something else mixed in it.

The cold air sent a chill through my body as I drank from the stream. The harsh winds during the day was enough to make any creature take shelter. I hated the cold weather, wither I was at college, or galloping through the woods alone. Both of my forms hate it-

*Snap*

My whole body twitched at the sound off in the distance, it is more noticeable of a twitch than the twitching my muscles make to get the snow dust off my back and shoulders. My mind commands my neck to raise my head without me thinking it, in order to listen for the suspicious sound. My body twitched again when the sound of paws became louder by mere seconds. My ears pin back and I let out a loud snort as I jump away from the sounds and take off as fast I could muster with the heavy snow fall. I wind around trees and rock trying to loose the wolf, but with my more delicate hooves trudging through snow more meant for a draft horse, the cold nipped the sweat ridden parts of my fur and slowed me down from exhaustion.

In a desperate hope to evade the wolf, I kick out randomly twice before picking up speed to round a corner around some rocks and see a crack big enough for my human body to fit. I skid to a halt in front of it and look back to see the wolf is gone. Hurriedly I change back to my delicate, and cold human form and squeeze in as deep as I can fit. Naked and cold, I hope that I can wait out the wolf before I can run home.

'Why couldn't the Fates have granted me a thoroughbred form? I'd actually be able to gallop away faster from preditors.' I think to myself. My breathing is a mix of teeth chattering and heavy breathing. I huddle up furthest inside the small crack, hoping that hugging my knees to my chest would help. 'I can't die, not like this.' I thought, and covered my mouth so that I wouldn't cry and give my hiding spot away.

Right before I cleared the forest I could see the horse take off in the direction of a cluster of rocks, I picked up my speed after seeing how hard the horse was working and struggling in the snow. I still couldn't understand why there was a horse in this area after living here for most of my life I have never seen one at all, all is knew was that I was hungry and I had a chance to eat if I was able to catch it.

As I rounded the same corner the horse just went around I slowed to a stop and looked around while I sniffed the air and the snow, the horse had disappeared. As I followed the tracks I noticed they had switched to human footprints instead of hooves, I gave a low menacing growl as I followed them to an opening within the rocks, I stopped just a few feet in front of it and listened to the sound of chattering teeth. I slowly shifted into my human form and stared at the girl who was inside the crack and growled lowly "If you don't want to freeze to death, follow me." I stared at her for a few more seconds before turning around and shifting back into my wolf, I glanced back at the crack and growled lowly again and slowly started to walk back to my grotto so she could keep up.

I could hear my fast-beating heart in my own ears as I heard paws approach and a low growl, but the wolf never came. Instead, a tall man appeared and I gasped in fright and covered myself up with my hands and crossed my legs. I pushed away more, figuring his arms were long enough to reach me. I whimpered, feeling the cold sting of the sharp rock digging in to my back. My heart pounded in my chest, my body shaking from fear and the cold.

I didn't say anything when he growled to me. I watched his face, he has a handsome face, but handsome faces can be deceiving. I only stared after him when he disappeared from my view I crawled out slowly and cautiously, being careful to cover my chest. I crawl out to see him walking away in his wolf form. I change back to my equine form and trot after him. I shake my coat out mid trot, and slow down a few yards back to a walk. I diont trust him enough to walk beside him, and risk him pouncing on me.

When we reached my cave I shifted into my human form and put a pair of shorts on that I had made, I looked back at the horse and picked up a fur blanket and held it out to her "When you shift put this around you, it'll keep you warm." I stared at the girls horse form before setting the blanket down and walking away from her, I have never seen a shifter before or met one, even though I was told stories about them by my mother when I was young.

I looked back to her and stared at her for a second "You know you could've been killed right? Why are you even in these part of the woods?" I sat down on the floor of the cave and watched her as I waited for a reply "My name is Niq."


(yep that sucked)

(No it didn't!)

Melissa: After following him from a safe distance in to the cave. I stop and change when he turns his back after throwing the blanket to me. I quickly cover myself up and my chills begin to subside. "Thank you." I sat quietly before sitting down on the floor with the blanket pooling around my body. Cradling myself with the blanket immediately made my body feel less frozen.

I stare at him whilst he talks down to me, and scolding me. I narrow my eyes and stare at him. A werewolf is scolding me right now about safety, I find this to be ironic for some unknown reason of the top of my head. "I'm Melissa, and I normally do not roam here, I'm sorry for trespassing. I normally stay around my house." I stop talking, I do not need to explain myself to him or the reason why I ended up miserably lost. I have been lost a long time, not only for a few hours like this man seems to be thinking.

I give him the quick 'up-down' look, "So, are you a werewolf or a shifter like me?" I ask, trying to change the subject in a casual way. I'm not good at 'playing it cool', my eyes give me away. My eyes shift to the ground a lot. My hands automatically pull the blanket tighter around me, becoming self conscious that I am naked with only a blanket to cover me.

Niq

I looked at her and watched her for a moment when she said she stays by her house. "Well Melissa, you won't be finding any houses around here at all." I turned to walk a bit further into the cave before turning and looking back at her again when she asked what I was. "I'm not a shifter, I'm a werewolf." I wasn't going to go any further on the subject and started to walk away again.

I glance back over my shoulder and saw her pull the blanket closer to her "How old are you? If you've been a shifter your whole life so far you should be used to having to be naked when you shift between forms." I looked down into the cave and looked back again "If you want to follow me, there's a small grotto further back that has more shelter from the elements, water, and its a bit warmer."


(that pic is from Skyrim, one of the games i play. I wish i could just step into the game sometimes. also thats his little grotto)

Melissa

I narrowed my eyes at the snide tone he used to say my name, but I didn't respond. I didn't say anything until he asked how old I was, I could tell by his tone he didn't want to discuss at all about him being a werewolf. Now that he says that, his form makes sense. There was something very dark - figuratively - about his wolf. It was something I could sense immensely when I saw him start to chase me. I hadn't felt true fear like that for a long time.

"I am 19." I say and add, "I have never been naked in front of another person before." I look behind me at the cave entrance and see the snow storm has gotten worse. I can hardly even see out the entrance of the cave.

I would never make it to the house. The cold and the stallion out there waiting for me out there would prevent that. My fur coat isn't thick enough to stand this stinging cold. I haven't been in my horse form enough for my winter coat to really grow out. And I'm not strong enough to face that stallion and the cold. Both of those factors have kept me away from the house and food for almost two days. He is trying to starve me out of hiding.

I look back at him, "Ok, thank you... for your hospitality." I say as I get up with the blanket still wrapped around me tight. Not just because I'm naked and that embarrasses me, but I am reminded of the bitter cold if even just a small bit of my skin shows through the blanket.

As he leads the way, I look back at the entrance a couple of times. With the loud storm, I can't hear any of the angry cries of the stallion if he were to be nearby. I fear him more than I have feared anything. He murders his sons and trades his daughters to other stallions for more mares. I was lucky because I have escaped him. The only one - as far as I know - to have escaped before I could be traded.

I am snapped from my deep thought when the cave opens up more and reveals Niq's grotto. The absolute beauty of the area makes me briefly forget about my worries.

(>.< i really am sorry, ive just been extremely busy with everything.)

After Melissa had stopped walking once she entered the grotto, Niq looked back at her and sat down on a fallen tree "This is my home away from home. There's a waterfall with a small pond if you need to clean up or if you get thirsty." He watched her for a bit and listened to her before giving a small smirk at her answer.

"I'm 26, and you'll get used to it after a while, even if you haven't been naked in front of someone before." He stood up and headed towards the waterfall where he had his small camp set up and sat beside a dwindling fire, he added some wood and sat warming up.

Melissa: I shift my glance to him when he talks about his small home away from home. He talked with a little bit of pride. Not a snide pride, but he was genuinely happy and proud of his grotto. By the small hint o love in his voice for his grotto, I assume he had found this place on his own and built his own camp here by himself. As I walk with him in silence, his camp came to view more clear, and see why he likes it. It is a pretty comfortable camp and well set up.

I don't respond to his earlier statement about getting used to being naked in front of people... I rather change the subject. "Your grotto is very beautiful." I say heartedly and pause to gaze at my surroundings, "it's peaceful." I say and look back at him with a question in mind, "do other creatures live here as well?" I ask him genuinely curious, but I also wonder if other werewolves live here as well. I do not want to ask in fear of insulting Niq. A question such as 'do other werewolves live here?' Would indicate that I fear and dislike them all. Like any other species, I doubt that Niq is the only polite werewolf.

And insulting Niq could potentially be a very bad thing. For if he were to kick me out I would be left stranded in the middle of a snow storm lost, freezing and hunted by my father. My fingers grip the blanket a little more tightly at the thought of him and what he would do if I were to be found by him

I looked over at her and nodded my head in thanks when she said the grotto was beautiful. I stood up after a moment and searched around my small camp before I found what I was looking for, I picked up a shirt that I knew would be like a gown on her and handed it to her "That's one of my only good shirts, it may be a bit big, but it's better than walking around with furs around you. Try not to ruin it."

I sat back down by the fire and watched her "Besides from the occasional deer, cougar or hare. Nothing else lives here besides me, it's been like this for about 10yrs now." I looked away from her and started to softly speak when I was telling her about nothing else living here, "Let's just say it's gets extremely depressing when your alone for 10yrs, and also the fact that your own kind won't accept you because your a rogue."

I stopped talking before standing up and looking around the grotto then back to her, "So how did you get so far away from civilization? How long have you been missing?" I wanted to change the subject and I was still wanting to know more about this girl so it gave me the perfect opportunity.

Melissa: I watch him get up and collect a shirt of his before handing it to me. I of course take it gratuitously, "thank you, I won't ruin it." I give a half hearted smile more to myself than him before putting it on while he turns his back to me to go to his seat again.

My body relaxes in to my seat as I listen to him, and feel sympathy for him when he explains how lonely it gets here in his beautiful grotto. I wish that I could be alone, the only company I've had in my life so far have made my world chaotic and miserable. I crave for the company of those who inspire me to make my own world better as well as myself. I feel for him and his unsatisfied attitude for the life he Lives now deeply. "I'm sorry Niq." I say, for I have nothing else to say that could possibly make him feel differently about his lonesome life.

My crossed arms tightened slightly when he asked me how I got so miserably lost, altgough I do feel a mutual trust starting to form between the two of us, I don't feel I need to exactly explain my life story to him. "I am a rogue as well, but horses shifters are different, if you are a rogue mare, stallions - shifter or not - will trip over themselves to find you." I say and quietly and look down toward the fire, "some respond a little more violently than others. I've been missing for about 4 days." I say and yawn within perfect timing. The dark bags under my eyes seemed to my my eye lids heavier we other it was night time or not

He looked at her after she had his shirt on, he gave a small nod to let her know that he had heard her. He stared at the fire as the flames licked at the dry logs he had added to it as he listened to her then glanced over while he kept watching the flames "Don't be sorry, and don't feel sorry for me."

He looked back over at her and his gaze hardened a little bit when she began to speak softly about how some stallions acted with more violence than the others "Do you have a certain Stallion after you?" He watched her for a moment more and saw how her eye lids have became droopy, Niq stood up and walked over to where she was and put the fur blanket around her, "How about you sleep for a bit, we can talk later."

Melissa- I look up at him when I hear his voice is a little more taute as well as his expression when he asks if there is a stallion that is after me. I open my mouth slightly and stutter a little. Not sure what to say now that I have said too much. I close my mouth when he gets up from his seat and wraps the blanket around me and tells me to get some rest.

Rest... I've been craving it for so long, but it has been at the back of my mind because I've been on the run. Chased by my father and then a wolf who happens to be a not-too-bad-looking werewolf. I've been behind on sleep... "Thank you." I breath out while wrapping the warm blanket around me gratefully. I lay down fully on my side right there, almost at his feet, and curl up tightly underneath the blankets and drift off quickly in to a deep lull. My dreams full of the same scenario of being hunted down by the same stallion or group of stallions. Making my feet twitch ever so slightly while I ran on in my dreamland.

(if writing in third person bugs you let me know, its just easier for me)

Niq watched as she slowly fell asleep, only to take a step back when it looked like she was about to lay on his feet. He gave a silent sigh to himself and walked away from a few moments only to return and add some more wood to the fire. He glanced over at the sleeping girl before he walked away stripped out of his shorts he had on and transformed into the large black wolf that had terrified her only hours ago.

The large head of the amber colored wolf turned and glanced at the sleeping form beneath the blanket before shaking its head as it began to pad along the dirt and rock path as the giant wolf made its way to the original cave and headed outside to hunt. A few hours later Niq returned carrying four rabbits in his jaws, when he entered the grotto he shifted into his human form, dressed and began cooking the rabbit, knowing the smell of food would wake up Melissa.

Melissa:

I felt my legs burn from running. I remember the burning, especially on the inside of my right front leg, near my elbow. The brand freshly bleeding and oozing down my leg along with sweat as I ran. The Fall rain made the ground muddy and difficult to really dig in and go fast, and they were gaining on me. I galloped down a slope and jumped in to the shallow river and jumped up on the other side and launched myself up the steeper slope with as much strength as my back legs could muster. I climbed up to the top and launched myself over to land on what felt like glass. My front hooves slipped out from under me to see I was on the wet road. I heard a familiar voice scream out in horror, "Petrichora!!" and before I could register what my mistake was, two bright lights flashed to my right.

Glass shattering, bones breaking, metal crunching, squeals of pain and screams of horror followed me when I woke with a small jolt to be facing the fire and a small body I guessed to be a rabbit. I blinked a couple times to rid the sleepiness from my eyes and slowly sat up, a little dazed from the dream and that the fact that the dream was actually part of my memories. I looked over to Niq and saw he is cooking the rabbit, and saw three more rabbits nearby that were also dead. I looked back to him, "How long was I out?" I asked, squinting my eyes a little from sleeping so hard. I felt a small stinging on the back of my neck and felt at it while Niq was talking. I could feel a small scratch near my hairline. I flinched when a twig snapped up in the trees and looked in that general direction, I pulled the blanket around me a little tighter, and shyly looked back at Niq, a little embarrassed.

Niq looked over at Melissa while he finished cooking the rabbit over the fire. He looked towards the opening that lead to the cave and couldn't see no more light coming in before looking back to her "You've been asleep for about 4-5 hours, You fell into a deep sleep within seconds of laying down." He pulled the rabbit from the fire and laid it on a small rock in front of her. "It looks like you haven't eaten for a few days, I managed to catch these four."

Niq tensed up and looked up to where the sound had cam from and watched the area closely for a few moments before deciding that there was nothing there. "How long have you been running?"

Melissa:

My gaze shifted to him with wide eyes when he said I was asleep for 4 or 5 hours. In my shock of him telling me how deep of a sleep I had, he pointed out the rabbit and set a cooked one down in front of me. My stomach ached right on cue. "Thank you... For the food and letting me sleep." I say, and take a small hunk out of the rabbit. Despite how hungry I am, I know to well that I could get horrendously I'll if I eat too fast after not eating in a day or two... And it's been 4 days.

When he asked me how long I've been running, I wasn't quite sure how to answer, because I have been on the run my whole life on and off. I go in to hiding and then they usually locate me and try to come after me. "Only the past four days. I don't know who is following me." I say. The last part is only partially true. I know my father is after me, but he usually has other compliances. Whom I do not know.

Melissa:

I rotated the cooking duck over the fire. I had just plucked it of its feathers and started cooking it. I don't know if Niq likes duck but it's food none the less. I managed to catch the duck surprisingly in my horse form. With other prey animals seeing me as a prey animal, they walk close enough by to where I can grab them an crush their necks in my jaws before they could fathom what was happening. Along my small bit of hunting and gathering fruit and berries, I collect firewood for when it's night time. It's my way of contributing. Having a shifter form that is a graze animals has to perks, because I know where the best fruit and berries are, and have even educated Niq a little bit on what berries are poisonous, and which spots are the best places to water that tastes the best.

I thing I've noticed about myself over the past month or so is that I crave to be in some way of a help when I'm given hospitality. I guess it may be because of my past... Where I've never really known true hospitality until I met Niq, and I want to show my gratitude by helping. I thin about all this while he is out hunting. (If you don't want him to be hunting now then ignore that) I've actually grown to really trust Niq and it has surprised me. I never thought I would be able to trust in someone else, I've mostly lived alone since I escaped my Father's herd and got hit by that car...

I push the memory away and continue turning the duck over. I had actually grown a little fond of Niq... Only as a friend... As soon as I am confident I can go home, then I will. I have to go home to my... Lonely life of living alone... But it's still home.

I look up from the cooking duck towards the entrance of the grotto from the cave, wondering if Niq will be back soon.

Niq:

It's been a few months since I brought Melissa to my "home" and it's been really nice. I've enjoyed having someone to talk to, I can tell she's changed a bit, she more open to talk than she was when she first came here.

I can tell she's been thinking hard about something, but I don't want to say anything. Hopefully she'll want to stay with me in my grotto or somewhere else, I don't think I could stand it having to be alone all the time again, I've gotten closer to her than I have anyone.

I gave a small growl while I drug a small deer underneath me, I thought it would be lighter than it is, but I guessed wrong. As I entered the grotto carrying dragging the deer my ears perked up when I saw Melissa cooking something on the fire, I dropped the deer by her before transforming behind some rocks and putting my shorts on "What are cooking?".

Melissa:

I rotated the duck one last time and let it cook. My stomach growled slightly seeing the fat drip from the succulent meat. I stabbed the duck with a small stick to see if the meat was thoroughly cooked. My mother taught me that cooking duck or chicken, you stab it with something to see if the meat is finished cooking. Fat will come out of the fresh pores immediately. If it's perfect, then it will be delayed. I heard something being dragged and turned to see Niq dragging a huge deer. My eyes widened, "woah."

I took the duck away from the fire and set on a cold rock to let it cool. "It's a duck I caught by the river. Since other animals don't really see me as a predator in my horse form, little critters like the duck will practically walk right over my hooves." I smiled, a little proud of myself. I looked over at the deer Niq caught before looking back to him, "have you had duck before?" I ask him, "it's my favorite." I add with a small smile.

Niq:

I looked over at the deer then back to her again "It's smaller than some than I hoped for, but it's still food." I walked over to the deer and began to skin it, and cut a few nice chucks off for later. "Where did you learn to cook duck?"

I looked at the duck when she laid it on the rock so t could cool off a bit before looking back to her "You caught it in your horse form? I've never heard of a horse catching a duck before." I saw her glance over at the deer I brought back "I've never had duck before, never had the patience to try and catch one." I sat down on a fallen log and looked at her "Do you know how to hunt with a bow and arrow?"


(>.< i suck at repling right now.)

Melissa:

I looked back at the cooling meat, "My Mom taught me how to survive. She taught me how to catch small things like duck or chicken in a trap or in our horse form. Prey animals won't run away if they see us, so it was relatively easy when I learned how." I looked away from him and back to the fire, "she taught me how to cook things to the perfect amount of time that its safe to eat." I rested my chin in my hand, "She taught me everything that I know." My voice trails slightly. I look back to him in surprise at his question, "That, I've never learned how to do," I laugh a bit to brush off my Mom's memories, "but that would've been a good idea." I say and look back at the fire. "Have you hunted with weapons?" I ask him and look back at him with a thoughtful expression

~~~

In the tallest tree nearest to the small camp, sat a barn owl watching the two rogues converse with an intense look. Raphael will be please to know his higher valued daughter is still within the borders him and his henchmen have trapped her in throughout the winter. Whomever her accomplice is, that will be news to Raphael. The werewolf will have to be gone in order to capture her successfully.

The barn owl took flight to bring the news to his boss. Knowing he will want to know he can move forward with his plan immediately.

~~~

Niq:

"My mother taught me a few things after I first shifted into my human form, mainly leather working and bow and arrow." I looked at the cooked duck that had cooled off enough to where we could eat a little, "If you want after we eat, I can show you how to use a bow and arrow. You can practice on our friend here." I nodded my head towards the dead deer that I had skinned and prepared to cut before looking back at her "How does that sound, then you can show me a few tricks that you know that you haven't showed me yet."


Raphael:

As soon as the herd came in sight I headed towards Christian, whenever he needed someone tracked down or watched I was always called upon. As I approached the steel gray stallion, I landed on the ground in front of him and shifted into my human form and kneeled while looking to the ground.

I lifted my gaze slightly to look at him "I have found your missing daughter sir, she seems to have befriended a male werewolf at a cave. It's about a three day journey from here, Do you wish for me to lead you to her?"

Melissa:
I smiled when he talke about his Mom to. I wondered if he'd grown up happy, because I hoped he did. When he made his offer to teach me bow and arrow, I looked to the skinned deer, the piece of meat of practice on. I looked back at home, "Yeah, that would be great." I smiled. I knew before Han though we needed to eat, and the duck was done cooling off. I took a thigh of the duck and used my fingers to take a hunk off of it and savored the bite. After I swallowed the bite, "For a while I lived with some humans. I had already survived in the wild for a while by myself before I lived there. Switching from fresh meat to the meat they bought in stores was disgusting. Humans probably have no idea what fresh meat tastes like... Or what fruit is supposed to taste like." I chuckled at the last few part and took another bite and swollowing before speaking again. "Because that stuff in stores was nasty." I say with a grimace.

~~~
Christian:

I didn't look at the pest when I heard him land and shift in to Raphael's human form. What the bird said made my head whip around an stare him down with narrowed eyes. "A three days journey? And you are positive it is her?" I snorted in slight doubt and turned around and halted before him and snorted, "because I would hate to see that you are wrong after making a three day journey." I stomped a hoof before him. When he hurriedly nodded I snorted, "then we will leave immediately. I will prepare the men who will be going with me. Which includes you. This is your chance to rest before we leave, I suggest you take it Raphael." I said and turned away from the hill to make my way down the side of the slope. As I entered the herd. My property cowered away from me as I made way to my most trusted stallions. Within the hour I had gotten my group of 5 together and left the last 7 stallions to guard the mares. I put Devon in charge while I'm gone.

We managed to leave a few hours before sunset, and we left at a thunderous gallop. I'm knew my stallions in my group to capture Petrichora's daughter are eager to see how this will plays out, how it will be decided weither she is sold or kept as stock like her Mother was. I know they all want her to be stock, because they want her for themselves.