[M] You Are Not Alone {1x1 AgroShadow, Larynx}

"It was a joke." She growled quietly to herself, as the man let out an unnecessarily loud laugh. The bubble of irritation grew quickly to more than just a bubble at the assumption. She bristled, mouth opening to issue forth a just as sharp retort. No sound was released, as instead, teeth clicked together. This was not the way to get to know each other, with sharp remarks and assumptions. If she were to live up to his expectations of being a naive rich city girl there would only be more steps to take away from it. Building rapport, trust, ignoring slights....all elements necessary to cultivate investors and buyers.

Blue eyes widened at the thought of having to use firearms. Even wider for the knowledge that they would be used to feed themselves during their stay. That train of thought had not in the slightest come to her, although it really should have, given that she had had really had the information to come to this sort of conclusion. It made perfect sense and really fit well into this whole idea of having to live a certain way to be a shifter. Perhaps especially if the shifter were not from a background like her own. Oh. The newer clothing choices certainly did make the appearance a great deal better. The material clung closer tot he man's frame, emphasizing the thin-ness that had not disappeared, but also a sort of look one obtained when the muscles were worked, kept in use, and kept that way. She quickly looked away before he could catch her, not that she would be ashamed of it. It just would not fall in line with what they were trying to accomplish here. Instead, she said nothing as he began to move about the cabin, trowing open windows as he went. A soft sigh of relief escaped her at the brush of cooler late afternoon air against her skin. Being open, the windows really did do a good job of pulling the air through and she was grateful for it.

"That is kind of you." The days were catching up to her and made her voice soft as she caught the smile edging along his lips. Following it up, she looked away quickly. Striding forward, she took the rags silently. It would be good to have something for her hands to do. If they couldn't be typing they would be making this place reasonable and capable of wrecking less havoc on her lungs with more dust traps. Quietly she set to work, dampening the rag before sweeping it along countertops, worn wooden chairs, the stove...anything that had a layer of what did not belong she set upon it. The work was satisfying, as she wiped away grime a new look from warm stains made wood shine with that traditional cabin look, and seat cushions showed their wear from being used to gather round the center table. It was immensely comforting to watch as this cabin she almost dreaded come to life. Furniture formerly dirty and dusty from being shut up, cleaned up to reveal a solid build and distinctive rough worn look that she knew some would pay well for in their own homes. Standing with a groan, her hands went to lower back, rubbing gently. She took a moment to admire her work and was happy to see that it had indeed made the cabin a much more respectable looking place. Fond memories of that one summer at her grandpa's cabin came back to her. A fire burning bright and warm as they roasted s'mores, curled up with a mug of hot cocoa warming her fingers as they watched snow fall...

The cabin started looking more and more like when he had left it to get the help he had needed. Seeing it all restored to its glory and looking more like home left a warm feeling in his chest. He was grateful for Arianna’s help in getting it that way, as it took less time with the two of them doing it rather than just himself. Once the area inside the cabin was looking decent, he took himself outside to start chopping the wood that would be needed to keep them warm at night and offer a sense of comfort to the both of them. Once he was in a rhythm, placing the wood, swinging and replacing the remaining, his mind and body fell into a welcome routine. He must have been at it for a little longer than he intended, as he glanced up and noticed that it was now early evening. The crickets had started their nightly singing already, and the mosquitos and other insects had started flying about. Sighing, he leaned his well worn ax against the side of the cabin and grabbed a large armful of the recently chopped wood. He set some of the wood into the fire pit that was just outside the front of the cabin before dropping the rest off on the porch for starting the wood stove later. Returning to the fire pit, he stacked the wood appropriately, shoving his old clothing in the middle of the small pile he created for kindling. Pulling out some flint and a knife from his pocket, he quickly had it smoking with small flames licking at the wood. ‘Hmmph. Good enough.’

Standing up, he wiped his hands on his shorts and started back to the cabin. Letting himself in, he spotted the female with a dazed look on her face as if she were lost in some memory. ‘It’s not so bad once it’s cleaned up, huh?’ Cozy, but satisfying.’ Moving over to the kitchen, he popped open a cabinet and pulled out some dried meat. He always had some for those just Incase moments. ‘Tomorrow I’ll go hunting for something a little more sustainable, but for now we can just munch on this till we are satisfied’ He tossed a bag of it in her direction, pleased that she was able to catch it with ease. She had decent reflexes, which would help in her training at least. ‘There’s a fire going on outside if you wanna relax a bit before we head to bed.’ Walking back outside, he was pleased to see that dusk had come and gone within the half hour, now leaving a soft blue cast on everything in the meadow. He pulled some foldable chairs closer to the flames that were now devouring everything he had put in there.

Sitting there, he began eating the dried meat he had kept for himself. It wasn’t bad, but it was palatable. He glanced up as he heard footsteps approaching him. He watched as Arianna lowered herself into the seat next to his. ‘Thank you. For helping me clean up a bit. It went much quicker than the last time I did it myself.’ He gave a sheepish smile as he continued. ‘What is it you want to work on first...? I’ve never really trained someone in all of this... so it’ll be interesting to say the least.’ He didn’t even know where to start. Did she want to try and shift right away or did she want to learn other things first? Hopefully she had some sort of idea how to approach this whole thing.

The...jerky? had the appearance a of any other tried before. Putting it to her nose, she took a curious sniff and satisfied that it at least smelled like she guessed jerky should smell, took a small bite. It wasn't bad. Not great but, not inedible. She had been hoping for something more substantial as a dinner but if he hadn't been back in a while it was unreasonable to expect a fully stocked pantry. Heading outside, following, as she chewed, she was surprised to see just how fast late afternoon had turned into evening. The sky was darkened by a cool deep blue cast, the mountains in the distance dark silhouettes with the last edge of the sinking sun peeking behind before it finally dipped below the horizon. Even as she watched it seemed to slink ever deeper below it, the darkness creeping eagerly in. It was beautiful. The feline within also thought it was beautiful, but for an entirely different reason. With the coming of night meant the coming of skills best practiced by a nocturnal hunter. Catching herself, she lowered down into the chair she'd spotted and shifted her focus on the flames licking at the air instead. It was more of an effort than she thought to tell the entity, no. Definitely not again, not so soon. She was not keen on reliving that experience again, at least not yet. Not until, hopefully, she felt like she had some understanding of what it all was. It was almost as if the man had her thoughts. Glancing his way, she noticed he seemed at ease out here, watching the flames as she did.

Yet, there was a tinge to his words. Was that uncertainty, she was hearing? Maybe not the best thing for him to tell her. "...Maybe, things I should work on before giving in to morphing into a whole other species?" She asked, softly. She definitely was less sure than he was of what sort of things someone like them should know. Another bite of the mysterious jerky made its way tot he young woman's mouth. Chewing contemplatively, "When do you go for your hunts?"

She had never been on a hunt before...or even thought of going on one. She had never thought that appealing but the time off for any real vacation she had never taken anyway. Head of the department and certain privileges within the company for being what she was only got her so far. It either bred resentment from coworkers or you took it upon yourself to actually demonstrate the ability to do her assigned job. It was that or become a shallow, vagrant party girl. She'd tried and it had brought her nothing real. Sighing softly to herself, she wondered if she'd even be able to help him on his hunt. Probably better to let him do it himself as he knew what he was doing. He was already teaching her about this, probably didn't want or need to bring her along. "Never mind. You probably just want to get it over and done with. It would only be another thing to teach me." Turning her gaze up to the sky as she chewed another bite, a soft gasp escaped her before she could catch it.

The sky was dark with the settling of night. But it was not empty. Thousands of tiny pinpricks of burning lights pierced the inky backdrop. Leaning back into the support of her chair, she let her head fall back even further, neck resting on the chair's back. If she looked closer, she could see among the clusters and the far flung lone dots, a slightly more multicolored band streaking all the way across. The longer she peered up at it, the more obvious it became, the more the faint colors differed from the dark space surrounding them. It was recognizable but so much brighter and prettier than she remembered having seen it. "Is the sky like this every night?" She breathed, tracing the Milky Way across the sky as if she had never seen it before. "It is so hard to see them in the city."
It seemed like she could just let herself stare up at the sky for ages and find new stars, it was gorgeous. The soft crackling of the fire burning away, its warmth brushing her feet and legs, and soft chorus of crickets all filled the air as she gazed upon the heavens. A deep sigh and she settled deeper into the chair.

He pulled a long stick from the ground and shuffled the logs that were in the fire into better positions so they were not giving off so much smoke, as he contemplated what she had said. ’Well, I guess embracing and understanding the other part of you. Once you understand that other half and really accept it everything becomes easier. While my canine might be another species, he’s just another extension of my personality, my body. I don’t know...’ He rubbed the back of his neck as he attempted to put his thought into words that made at least a little sense. ’You can get to know them without having to shift, there’s a drive, almost primal that you can feel, that right there is where they reside. There’s a trick though, it’s also where you can go to shift, but to keep from falling into that, it helps to be doing something more human than animal. So you always have that focus and tether to where you’re at now. If you let that animal part take over... well it can be difficult to come back. We should find something that’s worth coming back for you, to make the transition to returning to your body easier. Is there anything that drives you to be who you are?’ Glancing over at her, he noticed she had leaned her head back to watch the growing stars emerge. The orange soft light of the fire traced her skin, highlighting the lines of her jaw, tracing down her neck and pooling at her collar bone before dropping down dip below the darkness of her shirt. His eyes lingered there for a few seconds before he shook his head slightly to regain his thoughts. ’Uh, yeah, usually. In the winter it’s even more beautiful. When it gets cold enough, you can usually see the Aurora Borealis. One of the reasons I can’t really stand the city, too many artificial things and everything so close together.’

Tossing a few more logs on the fire, he kept his gaze directed at the flames so his eyes didn’t stop and stare at the beautiful woman sitting near him. It had been a long time since he had done anything with a woman, and an even longer time since he had any major feelings for one. He knew what he feeling now was just lust for the touch, he had no emotional attachment to her since it had only been a short time knowing her. But he wasn’t going to say she was unpleasant. ’I usually leave a little bit before the sun comes up, before all the animals start moving around.’ He caught her quickly retracting her statement and he shook his head. ’You’re more than welcome to come. I wouldn’t mind help setting up the smaller traps for rabbits and smaller game. I can show you how to do that, where all the good spots are and leave you in charge of them, if you want of course.’ He turned and gave a wink before standing up and dusting off his shorts. ’We best get some sleep though if we’re going to be getting up that early, it was a long ride up here and I expect we’ll have a busy day tomorrow. We can just leave the fire, it’ll burn out and the smoke will ward off any unwanted visitors.’ He made his way back toward the cabin. Once he was inside, he made his way to his room. Pulling of his shirt he glanced behind him at the female. ’There’s extra blankets in the cabinet if you need them. Sleep well, Arianna.’

——TIME SKIP: Early morning——

He awoke with a jerk, his eyes snapping open to a dark shadowed room. His breathing was heavy and sweat coated his back. Realizing where he was, he brought a hand up and rubbed the nightmare from his eyes. It had been so long since he had one, he thought they were over. Guess not. Sighing, he dragged his legs over the edge of the bed, standing on the cool wood floor. Fishing a shirt out of a drawer, he slid it on as he emerged out into the main part of the cabin. Quietly, he gathered the things he knew he would need. Snares and extra ammo made its way into a well worn pack. He grabbed his rifle and checked to make sure it was still well oiled and loaded. Poking his head into the spare room, his eyes spotted the human figure beneath the covers. Quiet but loud enough he knew she would hear, he spoke. ’Hey sleepyhead, if you’re coming with me, meet me out front in a couple minutes. If you’re not out there, I’ll just assume you need your beauty rest and head off without you.’

A soft brush of cool morning air against exposed skin made the young woman try to burrow deeper into the covers. This was too early and he mind and body knew it. As early as she was used to waking, the sun was not as far behind as this was. Keeping eyes closed tightly, she drew the blanket back up to her chin. Sighing softly at the warmth spreading back over formerly exposed skin, she vowed to make herself return to the world of dreams and no worries. She could feel her mind drifting off, breath slowing, and body sinking back into the bed. The voice was like a knife stabbing a balloon full of water. The ease of sleep abruptly popped away, and all sense of it fled. She sat up quickly, only to groan at the quick rush of cooler air replacing her cocoon of warmth. Pressing her hands to her face, she caught the last snippet of words and the sound of him moving away quickly. Off to no doubt get himself together for this god awful morning jaunt. Well it was now or never. Teeth gritted in determination, she threw the blanket off and set to dressing for the adventure ahead.

Stepping out into the living room, she paused and looked over herself. A simple fitted black t-shirt and jeans, and a pair of boots that had not really seen much action since purchased. She was reminded that she had bought them in the hopes that it would be a sort of motivation to get out and do more actual hiking and "roughing it" but those days had never dawned. They felt alright, broken in but it seemed like today would be the ultimate test. The area looked tame enough and he wouldn't have offered it if it weren't impossible, right? Shouldering her backpack, she looked to the front door. It stood opened already, echoing the open invitation from earlier. The cool morning breeze was blowing through it, on which she could smell the last touch of smoke from last night's fire. Stepping through to the doorway, she lingered, where she laid her gaze on her companion. He had not noticed her yet, his focus was on preparations. He was doing something with the rifle, and taking stock of ammo. As she watched he looked out towards the more forested tract of the property. His eyebrows furrowed, mouth stretching into a line. The sky was glowing pink and orange, gradually replacing the cold grey of ended night. The morning sun was making its presence, the first beginnings of morning peeking through and finding the man unobstructed to its soft rays. The face held a strong jaw and eyes that caught the light quickly and seemed sharp and intelligent as they swept through the trees, looking for what she knew not but the concentration held him in full.

"I am ready." She called, letting her presence be known. Looking back toward the cabin, she pulled the door shut firmly behind her. There was a tingle in her veins as she strode purposefully towards him. Maybe it was the morning air being warmed as the sun still hung back but warmed the earth, or the allure of being out and about in exactly what the feline wanted stirred into awareness.
"Where to first?" There were no paths or trails, unless she was just looking in the wrong place. Being a cabin wildlife probably ventured closer but it was still human inhabited so game trails weren't expected to be obvious. Or at least, that made perfect sense but knowing this was his world, she gestured to him to begin the day.

The cool, crisp morning air filled his lungs as he drew in a deep breath. This was such a nice change compared to the smoggy, crowded city. Where people fluttered about without realizing the air they breathed had no comparison to fresh morning air. His eyes scanned the edge of the clearing, his mind wandering as to where would be a good start for the both of them. The smaller game should be pretty unafraid of things seeing as he had been gone for awhile. Small minded creatures made for easy catches. Something bigger would be a little more difficult to find. It was later in the summer, meaning deer would start making their way down the cooler mountain slopes in order to get ready for the rut. So there was still the chance they would be able to see and possibly catch one of those. A muscle feathered in his jaw as he clenched it and made a decision where they would set off for the day. Leaning over, he doubled checked his bag that he would have the needed materials for setting the snares. Satisfied at what he saw in the bag, he shouldered the bag. Just as he was lifting his rifle strap over his head to settle against the pack, a female voice floated through the morning air. Part of him was slightly surprised she had hauled herself out of the bed. She had looked rather comfortable and warm in the bed, making him slightly jealous he hadn’t been able to sleep like that in awhile.

A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he glanced her silhouette against the dark cabin behind her. ’We will head East, hopefully we’ll get lucky over that way. Lots of smaller game and sometimes larger, but we’ll see.’ With that, he waited till she was caught up to him before heading off in the direction he had mentioned. It didn’t take long for his legs to start feeling the strain of walking through the unkept forest floor. He had chosen one of the easier routes, game seemed to pass through her often leaving a trail that was easily follows. If your feet were the size of hooves spanning a couple inches that was. His feet were much larger than the actual width of the trail so he found himself embarking on his own trail next to it. Every few yards he would draw in a large breath of air through his nose, scenting the area around him. While his sense of smell wasn’t as strong in this form as it was in his canine part, he could still pick up scents faintly. After walking for close to an hour, he finally drew in a breath that held the faint musty scent of rabbit. Perfect.

Pulling of his pack, he set it on the ground gently, leaving his rifle strapped on his back. Pulling out the snares, he glanced over at the woman that accompanied him. ‘Snares are real easy and very handy if you don’t have the time or energy to catch what you need.’ He pointed over toward a much smaller trail that disappeared under a bush as he continued, ‘There are loads of rabbit trails around if you know where to look. Ones that funnel them into a certain area make for better chances of catching what you need.’ Taking one of the long wires out, he made quick work of setting it up and anchoring it to the ground after draping it over a sturdy branch in the bush. The point was so as the rabbit moved through the circle of the snare, it would get caught and tighten the wire tighter around whatever limb got caught. ‘What do you think? Did you want to set up a few?’ His gaze landed on her, the morning light just now starting to filter though the leaves of the tree, giving her skin a blushed appearance. He found himself staring for a little longer than he would have like and quickly cleared his throat before handing her a few snares and picking more up for himself. ‘So what pressing questions do you have right away?’ He figured they would be here for a bit, so might as well fill the silence while they worked.

It was cool. Cool enough to make wearing the jacket just enough cover to keep from feeling chilled. No breeze, thankfully, as that would have made the wind chill the real cold and less bearable. This typical early morning cool of mid-summer was acceptable. Having driven up to a higher elevation she imagined this chill would last until the sun made itself more known. Looking back she was surprised to see how much ground it seemed they had covered. They had gained some slight elevation, and if she peered beneath the branches, through their gaps she could see the cabin, sitting quaintly in its little meadow. From here it looked much cuter and sturdier. A real cabin made to withstand the snow that surely fell in deep drifts, the howling gales, and any flooding from summer storms. She could not follow the path they were on from the meadow to where they were through all of the vegetation and gradual rise, but she could tell they had walked several miles in to this little forest. Turning her gaze from behind to ahead of them, she swung her legs in wider strides to catch up with her guide.

Watching the trees pass by as they strode on, she wondered what exactly he meant by "larger game". Did that mean deer or elk to him? Or merely a large rabbit. She could not tell if he were fully serious or trying to toss a joke in there. Eyeing him she thought it best to take him as serious. Hunting and feeding oneself was probably more serious for him in this environment. The bag swung to the ground quickly and was opened to reveal...what she could only assume were the parts to the snares they had briefly gone over earlier. She followed his gesture to a bush somewhere off in that general direction. An eyebrow arched as she thought it silly she would know really what he was pointing to. "That makes sense." She agreed, nodding, gaze now falling to the materials now in his hands being sorted. She followed, to get a closer look. They looked...simple enough. The concept made sense and if they were still used today by hunters and the like, obviously could work well enough to get the job done of putting something warm in the belly. Rolling the wire between her fingers it was surprisingly thin. To hold a struggling animal she would've thought something a little thicker. Shaking out a small loop she did an exploratory hook over a nearby bush and was satisfied when, after a few tugs it did not give way.

"Yes."Nodding to his offer, she moved off with another to a different spot, checking to see if it was in-line with where the others were, but not so close as to be obvious and hopped over or avoided easily. Giving a bit of a tug one to make sure it held, looped around a thick branch of a natural corridor through some fallen branches, she looked up at the sound a throat clearing and the man moving off as if red-handed. Choosing to ignore it she focused on his hastily asked question instead.

"Well, I guess... how do I control it? How do I do it at will like yourself?" Her gaze followed the man's fingers as they set up another snare a little farther down some trail. "Who can I tell? And...do I have to leave my job? Are there like, entire clans of people like me? How has this not been found out by the, I don't know the whole world? Is this genetic? How...." They came out more easily than expected. And maybe more honest that she would have liked to be with him. She let herself look up from his hands to his face. She did not hold that sea blue gaze for long, looking away and landing upon a small group of sparrows, the fully fledged older and the not quite as large which must be the last of their brood, busily flitting about in the grass. Seemingly un-bothered by the humans as long as they stayed far enough away from their seed hunting. Their life must include the fear of losing their babies to predators, surviving a harsh winter...all while living though every day as an opportunity for some predator to tear them mercilessly from life to fuel their own. Problems so unlike her own. If a tiny thing like them could fight through and live each day until their met their end surely she could through her own. She drew a steadying breath and turned back to him. She sought the gaze and held it this time. "I want to know everything. I want you to teach me, show me, everything. I want to be your best."

With both of them setting up the snares, they made quick work of all the ones in his bag. Giving the final one a tug, he stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants from kneeling on the ground. Zipping his now empty bag up, he couldn’t help the smile tug at the corner of his mouth as she rambled out all she wanted to know. ‘We’re going to need you to learn more about that kitty cat just hanging out inside of you first before you can at least start to get where I’m at with my canine...’ Once those words were out of his mouth,, an idea sprung to mind. His blue gaze slid over to her as his lips parted to reveal his teeth in a full wolffish smile. ‘How do you feel about meditation? I have an idea. Follow me.’ He shouldered his pack and set off toward another game trail that led to an area he figured might help. As they were walking, he continued to answer her earlier question left as honestly as he could. He was never worried about telling anyone, mainly because he had no one to tell. But he supposed since she was so well set up in the city, she probably knew more people in her day to day life than he had ever met. And not to mention she most likely had a loving family that would be worried about her if she just disappeared like she did. Suddenly a part of him felt guilty for pulling her here. There was no way she was going to stay forever. This isolated lifestyle was not for everyone and after seeing how she lived and worked, he doubted this was a lifestyle she would want for herself.

‘So I suppose you could tell whoever you want, as long as you trust them. I’ve found that people take it different ways. Either in disgust because you’re so different, or way too curious about how everything works in your body, or they just don’t care because they know who you really are. I’ve never really had to break the news to people because I avoid everyone I can.’ He held a particularly thick bunch of bish limbs out of the way for her as she followed through. His eyes tracked her movements as she walked past, her head held high and her body sure of with every step. ‘You can do anything you want. This isn’t a disability like some might think but just more of an extension of your personality. Everyone I know with this ability lives a normal life, most in the city and a few out in areas like this. Some have families with people that aren’t shifters. Once you’re comfortable with your ability, things become easier. We’re going to get you to a place where you aren’t afraid of this. And then you can decide how you want to deal with it and where you want to go from here. There are quite a few of us out there, but it’s a rare thing to have. I’m sure people have their guesses that we exist but we try not to make it too public since a lot of us don’t enjoy being looked at and tested on. As far as I know, there is no known reason why we have this ability and it seems to be completely random but I have heard of shifters having offspring that shift as well. So it’s hard to say where it comes from and why it happens.’

Running a hand through his hair, he could feel the beginnings of the day heating up by the small amount of sweat collecting in his hair line. Sure enough as he glanced up though the branches, he could see the sun had begun its climb toward the center of the sky. It just have been mid morning by now, and the day was promising to be a warm one. Sighing, he paused for a moment and listened. The birds were going about their day, flitting about and chirping as they continued. Once he sorted out the sounds of nature, he heard what he had been looking for. The softest sound of a trickling stream fought to be noticed through the sounds of everything else. He headed in that direction, hoping Arianna was still following. It wasn’t long before he eyes found the source of the trickling. It was a decent size stream, moving peacefully in the forest around them. Everything seemed to quiet down around it, providing for the perfect area to do what he was hoping for.

Turning toward the female, he gestured to the area around them. ‘This is a good place to start if you’re up for it. We’ll have to wait a bit anyway if we hope to catch anything from the snares, so we might as well make the most of the time. I want you to sit and just listen, to everything around you, but mainly just yourself. Find out where that cat likes to hang out and become familiar with it. Do not, and I mean it, do not touch it unless you want to shift. I just want you to find where you can reach for her. You can talk to her and see if she’s in a talking mood, but I have a feeling she might test you a bit because of her species.’ He gave her a wink before continuing, ‘I’ll be here, but I also won’t be. Take your time and tell me when you’re ready to go, but I want you to learn something before you’re done. Just remember you can’t be scared of this, you’re going to have to learn to live with it.’ With that, he gave her a soft smile, set down all of his items, and with a soft sigh he shifted. A large white dog stood where a man was once, blue gaze holding the female standing in front of him. Giving a little tail wag, he padded over to an area where the sunlight was streaming though the trees, giving him a direct beam of sunlight. He stretched out his upper half and let out a large yawn before flopping down in the soft grass and shutting his eyes.

Following after him, she hesitated when the man set his things down and the...shift began. It was not sudden so much as watching water bend and course smoothly and unimpressed around a large rock set upon its riverbed. The bipedal figure bent to assume one with paws that sprouted from their fingers before they reached the ground, and as they did fur erupted across the skin, a coat of white now catching the early afternoon light not caught away by the canopy overhead. Somehow it was recognized that this coat had a much better appearance. The white was truly white and stood out from the surrounding forest, even before it fully enclosed the man. She took in the muscle and bone snapping froward into place to make a longer distinctly canine muzzle sprout from his face, the fangs bared before draped behind their lips. As the tail curled above the dog's back, she realized it was over. That it was done. It seemed to take forever and no time at all. But it was...painless. No howls of some half human half animal throat. No obvious, loud cracks of bone and tendon jumping into place as they changed their species. What stood before her was a fully morphed person and he was totally comfortable, pink tongue casually lolling to one side in the early afternoon heat. She could feel envy surge from deep within. An unsettling heat there, too. This must be what it was like, truly. She turned away as the shepherd stepped deeper into the clearing, coat catching the light even more and blowing him out in the increased sun.

"I have never done anything to do with meditation." She began, only to see that Mason had decided now was a great time to shut his eyes for an afternoon nap. Teeth clicking, she set herself in a shaded pocket facing the clearing and the shepherd, trying to keep her annoyance at bay. This was not a great example of his teaching methods. Legs crossed she leaned back against the tree. And...with an irritated sigh, closed her eyes too. Slowly she sought out the cat....

...And found nothing. All that she had gained was a slow trickle of sweat down the back of her neck, between her thighs, and grass and poking uncomfortably at her ass and back. Not much time had passed but Mason was still asleep, seemingly at ease and taking advantage of the reflective nature of his coat while still being able to soak up some of the sun's warmth. She chucked a small rock off into the grass in frustration "Ugh!". The forest grew silent almost immediately at the unfamiliar sound. She shut her eyes again and tried to refocus. After a few minutes, the birdsong gradually resumed to its full retinue. There was a soft trill of something off to the right, low and soft. It was not very loud or full as it was afternoon but if she strained she could hear the beating of what she guessed was a woodpecker storing its lunch, the low drumming buzz of a beehive somewhere near and their inhabitants flitting from flower to flower all along the meadow. Over everything there was the soft rustle of the trees. Their leaves caught in the breeze and their branches swayed to a comforting rhythm. With a soft trill of excitement the cat came forward, cautious but eager as the sounds of a wild place came to it. She crooned to it, beckoned it to come forward and give her what she knew it could. Before she remembered it was not all together a fond memory.

It obliged. "Oh fuck. Ma-." Was all that escaped before she slung forward as the transformation began and with it flashes of blinding pain. An explosion of bone, muscle, and furious pain. Her limbs snapped down to less than half their length, even as fangs slipped between human teeth. Patches of inky fur swept across the body, reaching a newly formed tail and pinned ears. She knew her mouth was open, human or feline she did not know, but she did know that some mangled scream of agony flew from it. The claws sprang eagerly forward, kneading the forest soil with delight even before Arianna could realize that it was over. As abruptly as it started, it was complete. Now she was looking through eyes that caught the shepherd's and were unafraid. She looked away and instead eagerly swept the forest around them, ears pricked for a signal to hunt. She could feel the feline quiver with excitement.

He could hear her frustrations every time she let them slip. Her uneven breathing, her annoyed sounds. It was amusing, in a way. Lazily, his ear flicked slightly as he heard the soft thud of a rock hitting the grass. Letting out a long sigh, he cracked an eye open and spotted her closing her eyes once again as she fought to settle down. Satisfied when he finally saw her take a long breath and lean into herself, he let his eye close once again. It grew quiet, just the sound of their breathing, swaying in and out with the sound of the stream and the slight breeze blowing through the trees. The soft scents of the area brushed against his muzzle, bringing all the wonderful feelings of being free. He had missed this place, to be able to run about with not a care in the world. At the sound of a sharp intake of breath and a curse with what sounded like the start of his name, his eyes flew open. Where there once was a woman sitting, a feline form was taking shape. Hands became paws, ears sprouted from hair that shifted down into fur. A half human and feline screech hit his ears like nails taking down a chalkboard. With that, he pulled his body up, standing and facing the small cat that now stood there. Fuck. He had told her not to touch the cat, but it seems like she was unable to follow any sort of instruction. Snorting with disappointment, he lowered his haunches for the ground.

Mason could see the wildness in those eyes. The thrill of being a swift and cunning predator. His own instincts began to arise. His body bringing to twitch and roll with excitement at the thought of chasing and running. While he knew he shouldn’t indulge in those feelings but it had been so long since he had gone for a run. And now, with someone else to do it with... Shaking his head, he cleared the thought. However his body made no move to relax, his muscles tensing even more, ready to spring from his sitting position. Oh, fuck it all. With that, he lunged forward letting out a loud bark at the feline as he zoomed past. Claws dig into the soft earth, propelling him forward. Muscles rippled under his pelt as trees flew by in his field of view. He didn’t even check to see if he was being followed, the thrill fully taking him over as he let the canine wash over him and take full control.

His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as the air rushed through him with each breath he takes. His paw thud against the ground in a rhythmic fashion as he kept running. Smaller animals scatter as he bursts through the forest, no reason to remain silent here. Noticing a familiar scent he curved off to the right, breaking through the trees into a small clearing. Just beyond the clearing stands the edge of the mountain they had climbed earlier, the clearing sloping down until a sheer edge appears. Slowing to a stop, he stood there looking over the vast mountain range spread before him. Scents wafted up from the push of the wind, consisting of animals and nature. Suddenly the thought of the feline crossed his mind. Mason reined in some control, just enough to turn himself around and start looking for her. Growling to himself, he knew he messed up. This wasn’t a very good way to teach someone to learn about all this, maybe it’d be best to find her someone much more capable. With a swish of his tail, he started trotting back the way he came.