Celestial Bodies: Of Runts and Lycans

Chapter 31.3: Friends

Don't forget to Comment and Vote

Lycer's POV

"Can we go hunting?" It had been a beautiful spring day when she asked. I had been sitting up on a small boulder with her sitting on the ground below me. I was at the end of the process of untangling her unruly long hair. It took me weeks to convince her to let me give her a trim, the dead ends of her hair always making this a rather troublesome task. When she had agreed, I took time to find a pair of scissors in a nearby town, swiping them off an office desk at yet another shelter. Without the dead ends, it was easier to comb through her locks with my fingers, before twisting it into a braid.

"I don't know," I said in a teasing voice, "are you sure you're ready for that?" She gave a huff and I laughed, pushing myself out of my sitting position. "I would be happy to teach you how to hunt, Celestial."

Her eyes went wide. "Wait, really?"

I gave her a skeptical look. "Of course." I held out a hand, helping her to her feet. She brushed the dirt and leaves off from her too big pants held up with a belt that had some clearly stabbed holes in them. I often wanted to bring her better clothes but her group didn't know about me and I knew they would be suspicious of where newer, better fitting clothes came from. If they didn't get them as a group, even in smaller numbers, then that meant a potential withholding; perhaps a betrayal to their dynamic. "I'm surprised you don't already know how."

"Mom tried to teach me once but she kept worrying I was going to hurt myself or push myself too hard. And the other teens don't let me join them for most anything these days. Not unless one of the pack elders makes them." She looked down, rubbing her arm. I gave her a nudge with my shoulder.

"Well I believe every wolf should know how to hunt. It's one of our places and rights in nature." I gave her a bright smile until she smiled back. "Now," I clap my hands together, "your wolf should always be your best friend, you go-to, if you will. Sure, you can hunt in your human form. Your senses are good enough for that, but your wolf form is going to be faster. More easily able to dodge in and out of trees. We tend to also be able to be more stealthy in wolf form." She nods. "Evolution gave us the luck of being predator creatures. That's why we hunt over foraging. However," I give her a pointed look to make sure I have her attention, "our prey evolved to have a sense of safety and danger. They are on high alert for something, for us, to be out for them. If they feel they are in danger, if they sense we are near, they will run. Luckily, we can be faster."

"I can be fast," she assures me.

"I know you can." I give her a soft smile, ruffling the top of her hair. She pushes my hand away with a pout on her lips. "Go shift, I'll be here waiting for you." It became clear to me that Celestial, unlike most wolves, was not comfortable shifting in front of others. More so, she wasn't comfortable taking her clothes off in front of others; and unlike a wolf in a normal pack, she didn't have clothes to spare so she couldn't just let her clothes rip mid shift. After my second time of seeing her wolf form, I wondered if such a thing would even happen. Unlike most wolves, her form was smaller rather than bigger than her human form. I lift my shirt over my head and kick off my pants, throwing them on top of the small boulder I was sitting on moments ago. The shift comes over me naturally, my bones cracking and reshaping into the form of my large wolf. At one point it was painful, but now it's like I'm cracking my knuckles; putting them back into a more comfortable place in one satisfying move. Unlike most every other wolf out there, I don't have an inner wolf to connect to. No secondary voice pushing me to make decisions or to fight over control of my form with. At one point, I thought I was lucky to be this way, but years ago I decided that it was just another way to be incredibly alone. A small yip comes to my right and I turn to see Celestial's small form. A wolfish grin takes over my large face. Celestial. With her, I'm no longer alone. With her, I have a friend. She trots over to me, weaving herself through my legs and nipping at my paws.