Shapeshifters

11

AFTER DINNER, I offered to clean up. Sunny said goodnight and headed to bed. The strange thing was that it was early. The sun had barely set, it wasn't like her to go to bed this early. 

I'll work with it. I told myself. 

When I finished putting the last dish away, I went upstairs to make it seem like I was going to bed. When in reality, I was finalizing my plans for that night.

About an hour later, I knew Sunny was deep asleep, but just to make sure, I stepped on the creaky stair. I heard no movement from Sunny's room down the hall. 

She really can sleep through a hurricane. I told myself as I continued to head to the side yard. When I reached the side door, I opened it, as if I wasn't sneaking around. I turned around and closed it behind. I turned back around and saw her. Tawny. It was so good to see the familiar brown and black she-fox. 

Time to see if this works. I thought.

"I am known as Light to Sunpack," I began. "I am known as Rose to the human world. I call upon Nightpack and the human world version of Nightpack to allow me to change into my original form. That of a wolf. I feel it inside and know it isn't gone."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When I opened them I was lower, I was a wolf. I was Light, the real Light, once more. I saw Tawny looking at me not even a bit frightened. I padded over to her and laid in front.

"I'm not scared of you," She stated.

"You should be," I told her. "I just turned into a wolf."

"But you're still you. I wasn't sure if it was you or not," Tawny said. "I knew you had disappeared, but I did not think you'd come to the human world."

"Let me assure you," I started. "It wasn't my first decision. Did you understand me earlier and deliver my message?"

Tawny nodded and informed me, "I did. He was surprised to hear from you after only a few suns."

I shook my head vigorously. "No, not a few days, I mean suns. It's been a few moons." 

"You were declared missing just last sun. It hasn't even been a moon," She stated. "I went in search of you, knowing that something had to be wrong. I caught your scent by the five pines and followed it here. Dust says to come back soon. He's sorry."

"Tawny," I started. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded and I continued, "Did you have a dream that told you where I'd be? That you would have to help me home?" "As a matter in fact, I did. How did you know?"

"Because of something my father told me," I told her. "Before this happened."

"Star?" Tawny asked. "He told you something?"

I shook my head. "No, not Star. My other father. My real father." "After all these years..." She faded out. I poked her and she jerked back to reality. "Sorry. It's just, I didn't expect him to reach out. I always thought they would stay away until later."

It was almost sunrise when Tawny left with another message for Dust. When I see her tomorrow, I told myself. I'll apologize for having her be the middleman. I went inside and got ready for the day.

*****

"You're up early," Sunny said. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," I told her. "Can't I just be up early just because?"

She gave me the look of I-don't-believe-you. Well, and also her eyes moved slightly left. I knew she would question me later about why I wouldn't tell her why I was up. I couldn't very well tell her I was up all night being a wolf and talking to a Valleypack member.

Valleypack! I thought. Shapeclaw said something about a Valleypack member. As I racked my brain for what he had said, Sunny was telling me of our list of things to-do for the day. Just another day in paradise.

After we cleaned up breakfast we went to Williston High School to get me registered. To get me used to lying to other people other than Sunny and Petunia.