Oscars POV
When I got back, Elm was laughing her head off. Apparently, my younger brother (by ten minutes) had let his curiosity get the better of him. Lynch and Dena, who could take form of a hawk, had moved four logs into a sort of diamond shape and were sitting on the log furthest away from the camp fire in the centre. Elm had taken up the seat closest, and was warming her hands. Warily, I walked over to where Dena and Lynch sat, and placed a hand on Lynch's shoulder. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and nodded, before turning back to face Dena. 'And then, hahaha, get this, he comes up to me and says, "Hey Dena, do you...". But whatever this mysterious 'he' had said, we would never find out, because apparently it was too funny to put into words. Dena doubled over, laughing her head off, and came up wheezing about two minutes later, only to burst into laughter once more. Elm looked up at me, with a look on her face that said: is she for real? I chuckled and gestured for her to come over. She patted the bench beside her and I shook my head, my gut suddenly tensing up, like it did just before I shifted. Elm shrugged and walked towards me with a quizzical look on her face. 'Why can't you sit next to me Oscar Boy?'
'What did you just call me?!?'
'Oscar Boy! I think it's kinda cute, don't you?'
'No.'
'Awwwww. Lighten up.'
'It sounds like a dogs name'
'And you think that's not the point I'm trying to make?' I growled and started to walk away, Elm was going to be a challenge. 'Hey! Wait up!' I sighed and hung back so that she could catch up, when she reached me, I put my hands on her shoulders, to stop her from moving about, and looked her in the eyes. They were a beautiful blue, deeper than Lake Tahoe, and they no longer had the same fearful glare in them that I has seen this morning. Elm looked completely at ease. She had a fine, fresh-face, and she was pouting, one eyebrow raised. I suddenly realised that I must look weird, staring at her for so long. 'Please try to refrain from calling me Oscar Boy Elm, wolf Shifters may take offence from being associated to domesticated dogs'
'But do you?'
'Well, yes, I mean no, ummmmmm...' The truth is, that I usually would be offended for practically being called a dog, but when Elm said Oscar Boy, I felt a sudden urge to shift and perk my ears up, as a dog would. Incredibly insulting, I know, but that is just the way it is. 'Hahah! I knew it! You're soft!'
'What? No! Me?'
'Yes you, you idiot. It's settled then. I'm gonna call you Oscar Boy!'
'Nooooo.' I moaned. If Kaiis ever caught her calling me that, he would seriously judge. Elm just laughed, and headed back towards the fire. Dena and Lynch were both sitting on the floor, Dena's head was resting against my brothers chest, and Lynch's eyes were drooping. Elm sat on the log furthest away from the fire, so I had no choice but to sit next to her. I dropped down and tried not to look at the orange and blue ribbons that rose up to the night sky.
Instead, my eyes came to rest, once again, on Elm's face. This time, taking in every feature. The way her recently smashed nose had a thin scar running down the side, and how it curved round at the end. Her soft lips were chapped and red, yet still arched elegantly and perfectly. She had a small scar from her fall, just above her left eye, that came up to her brow, where a line had formed in between the hair. The flames were reflected in her lake blue eyes, but I couldn't look away. The pack doctors had done an excellent job of fixing her. It would have usually taken weeks for a break like that to heal, but with the remedies that they made from herbs, it only took hours.
'Why don't you like fire?' She asked, and I was taken back by the sudden change of tone. She was talking seriously, all playfulness gone, her eyes set hard with determination. Elm turned to face me. 'Why don't I like fire?' I repeated.
'Yeah.'
'Instinct I guess. Wolves. We don't like fire.'
'Wolves? You brother said that you were called Shifters.'
'Well, yeah, we're called shifters, because that's what we do. We shift forms. But really, we're just wolves.'
'Oh.'
'Oh?'
'Yeah, oh.'
I was confused. I mean, what did she expect. For us to be human? Please. Humans are so weak. No offence to Elm, but I doubt she would be able to even come close to changing forms.
'Elm?'
'Yeah?'
'D'you want to see something cool?'
'Sure!'
I laughed. Her face had suddenly lit up, like she had never seen anything cool before and just had to find out what cool meant. 'Come on.' I said, and lead her to the meadow.
