Wolfheart

~Aimless~ (2)

I wandered aimlessly, holding no true purpose close to my heart, holding no real purpose at all, in fact. Save for one: keep myself as far away from other humans for their sake and my own.

I brushed past thick greenery, my bare feet placed upon the moss and leaves of the lower plant-life, trees towering overhead, providing a green ceiling for the gentle wild. As I walked alone, listening to the sounds of the nature around me, inhaling the charming scents of the flowers. Though I despised the Magician for what he did to those children and myself, I had been somewhat grateful for the heightened senses that coupled my transformation.

Raising my head and tilting it slightly to the left, I halted quite quickly. For a second in time I could have sworn I had heard a human's voice. At first, I felt rather anxious, there usually were not to be humans for miles and miles away from the Evermore Forest.

There it was again! That noise...

I stood very still, still as the foliage around me, where not even the slightest breeze could reach out to ruffle the leaves. I focused all my attention on the direction of the sound, and again it was carried into my ears. It was the shout of what sounded like a young woman, calling out for a lost companion.

Thinking myself to be crazy after being alone for so long, I shook my head vigorously. It could not be a human, and it seemed even less likely that a young lady would be wandering around the wild Evermore at the crack of dawn.

Yet, curiosity took hold of my being, perhaps I was not the only person in the forest after all. I bent low at the waist, and watched my hands as they morphed into the great, gray forepaws of a wolf. Since the first day I transformed into one of the mighty beasts, there had risen a newfound respect for the wonderful creatures. Though I shared the entirety of my appearance and skills with that of the regular wolf, I was much, much taller. I could have stood head-to-head with that of a mighty draft horse.

Using the power of my hind legs, I kicked up into a gentle, rocking canter-like stride. Moving much quicker over the Earth than I had been as a human. It was very enjoyable, to say the least.

I leapt comfortably over an Evermore Tree trunk lying across the trail to the voice. Landing lightly, I slowed to a walk and slunk into the nearby brush, body low to the ground, the fur on my belly brushing the soft grasses below. Staying close to the Earth, I watched with bright, wolf eyes as my suspicions were confirmed, and disbeliefs blown away.

A lovely, young lady was walking to the right of me, down the small deer trail I had previously run. She had long, golden-blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. She bore the clothing of that of a warrior, and had a long, hand-and-a-half sword at her waist. "Hanon!" She called out again, loudly with a ringing voice. "Hanon, where are you?" It now became quite painfully evident she had, in fact, become separated from her companion as I had supposed.

I pushed myself lower to the ground as she halted just outside the bushes, of which, concealed me. "Oh my..." the young woman was looking up at the Evermore log I had just cleared. It was much taller than she was, and I supposed she would not be able to cross it without climbing. And naturally, being one of the mighty trees it was, it would stretch for ages in either direction. She sighed lengthily, "I suppose I must turn around..."

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