Nicodemus stared into the darkness of the night that set onto the plains. Stars dotted the sky, winking down at the troubled shapeshifter.

If he was found in shifting between forms, he'd be killed. The last time he was tortured. If he stayed in human form, he'd lose all advantages of animal strength he used when running for miles. And besides, if anyone saw him, they'd question where he came from. Living out in the middle of the forest would be suspicious to them.

He sighed softly. He'd have to do something. He could talk in animal form, the unnatural ability granted by his magic. Even in all his animal forms he was still a person and could communicate like one.

He shifted. His brindle fur melted away and a brown coat took its place. His fingers grew into claws and his palms turned into rough pads. His teeth elongated into fangs. He shook his brown fur and wiggled his stubby tail. His sense of hearing increased and he heard rustling as Erudessa shifted her weight where she sat.

He turned and headed back to camp. Erudessa stiffened and looked up at him. He could smell the sharp scent of fear. It faded quickly.

"Nicodemus?" she said. "You're a bear?"

He grunted. "Yes."

She raised an eyebrow. "You can talk?" He didn't answer, only lay beside the fire. She bit her lip and reached out to scratch his head. He looked up at her and rolled onto his back, revealing his stomach. She chuckled and rubbed his belly.

"If they find me, they'll kill me," he said, his words muffled by his bear lips.

"Who?" she asked.

"Anyone in Syrcrie. They think I'm dangerous."

"You could be."

"You could be a murderer," he pointed out. "I've seen you fight; I watched you kill the goblins. You could easily take out a few people."

"I don't kill people," she stated. "Do you?" 

"Do you think I do?"

"You might." 

He looked at her. "You don't trust me, do you? Do you trust anyone?" 

"Do I have to?" 

He sighed. "We can leave here in the morning, but we'll have to go fast; the spiders probably didn't stop to rest for very long."

~*~

Jerad raised his waterskin to his cracked lips. The wind in the open plains made his lips bleed and licking them only made it worse.

"The tracks head this way," Simon said, pointing to the south. "I still don't know what we're following. Do you think it's a good idea to chase them? Maybe we could send a scout ahead."

"We don't have a scout," Jerad snapped. "Let's go." The tracks they followed were mere holes in the dirt, like someone stabbed the ground with a thin blade. Only the mass number made them suspicious.

Jerad tapped his heel to his horse's side and led the group through the plains. The wind ruffled his hair as he rode. He swayed slightly with his horse's steady gait.

"Do we have a plan for taking out whatever we're tracking?" Mason asked.

"Find them and massacre," Luke said. "What other plan do we need?" Simon bit his lip. They needed a good plan. Something better than getting killed.

He didn't say anything. Whatever Jerad wanted to do, Jerad would do. Even if it got him a spot in the infirmary. Simon would just have to try to keep him out of trouble. He sighed. It was not a job he looked forward to.

Jerad squinted at two faraway shapes. He could barely make out the form of a girl with red hair and what appeared to be a bear. Erudessa.

"Let's go this way," he said to the group, riding in the opposite direction of Erudessa. He wanted to keep Erudessa in his sights without being seen by her. She probably didn't know that there was something out there. He grinned. Saving Syrcrie and rescuing the best warrior would look really good on his report. Maybe he would get a raise in salary. Maybe he would be the top guard and Erudessa wouldn't be. That would be even better.

He'd just have to keep an eye on her.

~*~

"Erudessa." Nicodemus sniffed the air and caught a whiff of something. Humans. Four human males. He looked across the plains and spied them on horses.

"What?" she asked.

"We're being followed," he said. She followed his gaze and scowled.

"Jerad," she muttered. "What a nuisance. I bet he's tracking the spiders."

"Or us," Nicodemus said. "What are we going to do about them out here?"

She grinned. "We just have to keep an eye on them."