Shapeshifting Magyk

1: Memories

The small kitten carefully crawled among the rows of stiff beds, eyes trained on her target. Her brown-gray fur shining in the small light that made its way in into the damp barracks. She froze when it flew up and landed just out of reach. Huffing in frustration she quietly climbed up the thin post of the cot. Reaching the top, the calico shimmied on her belly over the rough sheets. Barely inches away now, her tail begins to wag and then she pounces-
"Lily?!"
Cold hands wrapped around her body mid jump causing her to yelp. The boy carefully maneuvered the kitten in his arms to a more comfortable position. He then quickly stuffed her under the sheets near the pillow before turning back to attention. Although not very happy about being stuffed under scratchy sheets, she reluctantly stayed put.
There was slight commotion and discussion for a few minutes. A door swung shut and that's when the kit took the chance to get out. She began trying to push the sheet off of her face with her paws but she was too tiny. Someone peeled off the sheet for her and she mewed softly at her savior.
"That was close."
"Too close," Boy 412 sighed in relief, "Lily you can't keep doing this."
Lily tilted her head slightly, causing the other boy to laugh.
Boy 409 stifled his laugh, "She's a cat. She don't speak remember?" He gently stroked her back before sitting on the bed. "You better get her out of here before our next shift, 412."
"I know, I know," he pulled off his floppy hat, "Hey get out of here." The thin boy shooed, but the kitten didn't listen. "C'mon, please?"
Seeming almost happy with his answer, the small calico jumped off and pranced out of the barracks.
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Get yourself together, back to the present. After a Young Army exercise, 409 never came back to the barracks...412 never mentioned him.
But like I said, Lily thought, back to the present.
She carefully began walking through the snow covered streets. It was still midafternoon now and she was hoping to get there before it got too cold. Wrapping her arms around herself she trudged toward the Wizard Tower. It was a cold night considering the last snow fall, it was almost like the world was trying to freeze the city whole. Of course, this was only Lily's opinion and she didn't have the best snow gear on anyways. Just a woolen cloak and some snow boots that were almost too small for her. It could be a lot worse so she's not complaining. At least not too much anyway. The wind bit at her bare skin so she ducked her head further in the cloak and took off in a sprint. If she got there quicker she could get out of the wind. Racing through the dim streets, Lily finally made it to the courtyard of the Wizard Tower.

Now if she remembered correctly, he was posted just outside the entrance of the Tower. So that's where she went. As the silver-brunette pushed through the snow she slowly approached the entrance. Normally, Lily wouldn't even come this close to the tower for reasons she kept to herself.
        "412? Are you out there?" She quietly called out when she couldn't spot him. Starting to get worried, she called his name again. That's when Lily a noticed a pile of snow. She hurried over to it and scraped off some of the cold ice. "412!" She cried softly as she uncovered his face. He was freezing to the touch. Hearing voices in the distance, Lily panicked and quickly shifted into her kitten form. She huddled behind the pile of snow as the voices got closer.
The Extraordinary Wizard, who Lily was told named Marcia after a rant one time from 412, came rushing down the yard, slipping slightly every couple steps. Lily thought she was going to go inside when she stopped in her tracks. Marcia began to frantically look around before diving at the snow pile 412 was in. A young girl popped out from under her cloak.
"Dig! He's here. Frozen," she ordered.
The Extraordinary Wizard froze when a hiss came from behind the boy. A small kitten swatted at her hand and protectively stood in front of the sentry. She was surprised at the creature's appearance but quickly shook it off. Yet when Marcia reached once again for the boy the kitten didn't seem happy.
"Blasted kitten, I'm trying to help him for goodness sake. He'll die," the Extraordinary Wizard stated. That seemed to do the trick as the kitten back away.
        The dark haired girl slowly approached the small kitten. She held her hand out to her and eventually coaxed the silver form to come into reach. She gently picked the kit up and held her close.
        "It's alright, you're safe. She's trying to help. I'm Jenna," the girl introduced. Lily noticed that Jenna couldn't have been older then herself.
        She watched Marcia lean over the boy's face and mutter something under her breath. Marcia stopped, listened and looked concerned. Then she muttered again, more urgently this time, "Quicken, Youngling. Quicken." She paused for a moment and then breathed a long slow breath over the boy's face. The breath tumbled endlessly from Marcia's mouth, on and on, a warm pale pink cloud that enveloped the boy's mouth and nose and slowly, slowly seemed to take away the awful blue and replace it with a living glow. The boy did not stir, and Lily began to grow worried. That was when she noticed the faint up and down movement of his chest.
The kitten sighed in relief.
The Extraordinary Wizard turned toward the girl, "Quick! He won't survive if we leave him here. We'll have to get him inside." Marcia gathered the boy into her arms and carried him up the wide marble steps. As she reached the top, the solid silver doors to the WizardTower swung silently open before them. The purple eyed girl took a deep breath, adjusted the kitten in her arms, and followed Marcia and the boy inside.