Freedom
Freedom
Serafine POV
The cold creeps in slowly. I don’t realise it at first, but then it sinks in and seeps into my bones the longer I lie under the blanket. Even with it wrapped tightly around my like a second layer of skin, the bite of the mountain night presses close.
I shift restlessly and curl tighter, I’m trying to find a position where the chill doesn’t cut through me
It’s useless, my breath fogs the air, sharp and white. The ache in my muscles from the ride still lingers and now the cold it making it worse. Every time I close my eyes, I see flashes of silver fur and feel the painful snap of the bond tearing away! keep hearing Xander’s final roar echoing behind me, it’s lost and desperate like it’s searching for me.
My wolf whimpers softly in my chest, she’s unsettled but quiet for now.
I tuck my arms tighter around myself and try to ignore it. I try to convince my mind to rest, but sleep never comes.
A soft rustle near by draws my attention. The Silvermane hound rises from where it lay near the trees and I stare at it, wondering where it’s going. Then I watch as it pads across the clearing toward me, the large paws are silent against the forest floor.
I sit up slowly as it approaches. I wait, expecting it to pass to do petrols or maybe to lay back down. Instead, it stops at my side and lowers itself gracefully to the ground beside me. Its great body leans gently into mine, a living wall of dense heat and steady warmth. I stiffen for a second, unsure of how to react, before instinct takes over and I relax.
Even I know it’s not about to hurt me. Its long silver coat brushes over my arms and legs like thick velvet. I exhale, sinking against it and allowing the comfort to pull me down.
The warmth of the Silvermane Hound sinks into my frozen skin, melting away the worst of the cold. I’m amazed by how warm it still is, despite the cold that spreads with the wind. The rhythmic rise and fall of the hound’s breathing lulls me, and my wolf sighs with contentment deep inside me. She presses closer to the Silvermane Hound, fully at ease with the creature. Slowly, my eyes drift closed. This time, sleep takes me.
When I wake, soft morning light filters through the branches above, throwing long streaks of gold across the mossy ground. Pushing myself upright slowly, I stand up and begin to stretch out myself. I watch as the Silvermane hound moves to stand, stretching out its long legs and shaking the dampness from its fur. I look around and see the Hollowfang Raven watching from a nearby branch, its dark feathers glossy in the sunlight.
“We need to move,” it says simply. “We’ve bought distance, but we cannot stay long.”
I know it’s right, so I nod in agreement and brush the dirt from the clothes as I pack away the few supplies into the bag I brought. The map goes safely in my pocket, tucked tightly. I need it, if anything happens and I get pulled away from them, I have to know how to get there. The outcasts‘ settlement still lies days away. Walking will take forever, and the thought of riding the hound again makes my already sore legs protest.
It’s also wrong to expect it to carry me that far. A strange idea creeps into my thoughts.
“I could shift,” I say aloud, surprising myself.
The Hollowfang Raven tilts its head thoughtfully. “You’ve never allowed your wolf to run free.” It’s not a question, more a statement like the Raven can sense the truth beneath everything.
“I was never allowed to. It was controlled. Suppressed.” I hesitate, my heart beginning to pound harder. “But I feel her now. Stronger than before. While it was suppressed, shifting was impossible; there was always something locking her down.” The raven’s black eyes lock onto mine, unblinking. “Then free her. You’ll cover ground faster. The Silvermane will guide you and ensure you’re safe.”
I draw in a deep breath. I know that I suggested it but now I’m worried, what happens if something is wrong? What happens if she’s too weak from the years of suppression? Worse, what if she takes full control and I lose myself to her power for hours, days or weeks? It’s all possible.
Clenching my hands at my side, I try to focus. My wolf stirs sharply after hearing my words, she’s eager and waiting. it’s as though she’s been holding her breath for years. I nod once and step back from the bag. I remove my clothes, knowing they will be shredded if I shift while wearing them.
The Silvermane hound watches me with a knowing calm.
I close my eyes and let go. I’m amazed by how calm I am but I realise the Silvermane Hound’s calmness is seeping into me and making me calmer.
Successfully unlocked!
The shift crashes over me harder and faster than expect it to. Dones stretch and skin pulls tight, and then gives way. The fur erupts along my arms and spine. The rush of it is like falling and flying at once. It’s so strange, my senses explode outward as my paws meet the earth.
When I finally open my eyes for the last time, the world sharpens into stark color and sharp scent.
1/2
Freedom
I keep my body still as I blink around in stunned silence My legs weirdly feel longer, my chest feels broader as well! glance down and catch sight of sleek silver fur it’s the exact shade and sheen of the hound that is standing and watching me with quiet approval
1 step forward and my paws meet the ground with silent grace. I’m not just any wolf, like all the others. I’m not even like the wolves I’ve seen before.
I’m like the Silvermane hound. I didn’t expect that.
I’m different as well, I’m slightly bigger, taller through the shoulder, but otherwise identical. The same deep silver coat. The same rippling strength in the long limbs. Walking forward, I look into the water, I’ve got the same sharp, piercing gaze. My wolf lifts her head and howls once in sheer exhilaration. I stagger back and realize the sound came from me.
Woah, okay, this is nothing like what I expected.
The Silvermane hound steps closer, and brushes it’s thick fur along my side in a silent welcome. The Hollowfang Raven still circles above us, and the shadow of it flickers across the forest floor.
Okay, I need to get used to this. I shake out my new coat and try to settle into the new form. The muscles feel strange, but also natural all at once. I turn toward the trees, and we begin to run.
I’m surprised by how fast the ground flies beneath my paws, the Silvermane Hound matches my pace with ease as we weave between fallen logs and low branches. The Raven leads overhead, a dark streak that cuts through the soft morning light.
I don’t know what waits for me at the end of this journey. I don’t know what I am becoming. But for the first time in my life, ! am not running in fear. I am running because I am free. I’m running because I now know there’s more to life. It would be amazing to stay in my Silvermane Hound form.
Would anyone know it’s me? A human? Or would people simply shrug it off and think it’s nothing more than a Silvermane Hound? Could this be my secret to staying hidden?
No, it can’t be. I need to eat, I can’t survive like this. The Hollowfang Raven already explained that I need to work to earn money to buy food.
