I heard the cry of a hawk above me, and silently, I despaired. It seems like Shifters were staying in that cabin, and they did not appear to be on the side of the Mistress. Dawn was not far away, and I knew that I would have to kill them then, if not, the Mistress would scan my memories and know that I had failed her.

One hand went up to the gold locket bouncing on my chest. It grasped it tightly, the engraved designs biting into my palm. You have to keep them safe, I thought. No room for error.

Before I could take another step, a flurry of golden brown feathers struck the ground in front of me, and in the blink of an eye, grew into a blond woman half kneeling on her right knee, her hair billowing around her, and a strange weapon flat against her extended right arm. It consisted of a long, well polished shaft of wood, to which either end was affixed with gleaming curved blades that looked razor sharp. The center of the blade was stylised with runes that I have never seen before, but seemed to hold a certain measure of power.

She looked up, and I was struck by a sudden wave of panic. My breath came in ever shallow pants, and I could feel my body go into overdrive. The mere sight of her features sent terror pounding through me, and adrenaline flooded my bloodstream. Erratically, I changed course, darting to her left, but before she could do so, a charging streak of grey fur, splashed with white, crashed into me, and sent me hurling back into a thicket of trees.

I groaned, and slumped to the floor, each breath a hot poker in my chest. I grimaced. My ribs must have broken in that explosive impact, and they grated against each other now, and sent pain flaring up. No matter. The daily transformation would heal them.

The change! How could I forget? I glanced up at the sky, and I could tell that the first few rosy fingers of dawn were starting to claw their way up into the star lit sky. I closed my eyes, and I could feel the presence of the three strangers draw closer and they cautiously approached me. Just a few more seconds.

Then, the birds burst into song, as a new day started. My shriek of pain rang out as my bone structure reformed, turning into the feral howl of a wolf once more.

~

Word Count: 422