Shapeshifters

27

DUSTFLY AND I stayed up well into the next night, planning our return. We talked the different strategies and how they would all hopefully play out. 

If it all goes as it should, all the leaders would be there. Tawny said she would try her best, but they were still recovering. Our fingers, and paws, were crossed, longing for them to be well enough for the big moon meeting. 

By the time we called it quits, we had five different views of five pines, per plan. A top, a front, the clearing, the alignment of the trees, and a view from looking up from the clearing. We knew they weren't accurate since neither of us had been there since the fateful night when we got cursed.

I got up around noon to find that Dustfly was still sleeping, leaving me to wonder if he had stayed up more. I didn't know what he would've been doing without me but, it wasn't my place to judge. I went about getting ready. 

By the time I was finishing eating, Dustfly was just then arousing. I went to go finish doing my hair, leaving him to get ready without me. I came out to the kitchen to find him scouring over the drawings and ideas for our arrival.

I pulled them away from him. "I'm going us a rest day from this. It's not healthy to be constantly worrying about this." I thought for a minute. "Let's go for a walk."

Dustfly glared at me then sauntered off to eat and change. He was ready to go in no more than 15 minutes. I applauded him for that, then followed him to the car.

"Where are you going?" I inquired. "The woods are that way," I pointed to my right. Directly at the wood line.

"I know," He responded with a smile. "I have a different idea in mind. Something to put us at ease."

I gave him a quizzical look then shrugged. I let him drive us to, wherever he had in mind, and I relaxed. He then pulled into a gas station and blindfolded me.

"What are you doing?" I was getting a little nervous. 

"It's a surprise where we're going. Let me surprise you this once."

"Fine." I wasn't totally down for it, but I agreed to let his little game play out.

We hadn't been far from where we were going since it didn't take long for him to drive us there, park the car, and get out. He instructed me to wait. That he would open the door for me. I could smell his far. He doesn't want me to fall. I waited for the door to open, when it did, I stepped out and Dustfly wrapped his arm around my waist to guide me. He maneuvered me through the parking lot and to the mysterious place.

"Your toughest one please," I heard him tell someone once we entered.

I noticed the strong smell of sweat and chalk. It was a minute before we moved again. Dustfly abruptly stopped, then removed the blindfold. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. I couldn't believe my eyes.

He had taken me to one of the obstacle courses in the city. There were three lined up and we were by the third one, the most difficult one. I glanced at him and he was smiling.

"Good surprise?"

I nodded and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you!" 

He murmured a welcome and immediately challenged me to a race. We spent the next few hours doing the obstacle course. It was fun and tiring. We were both panting and out of breath by the time we stopped. 

As we were leaving, one of the staff members came up to us.

"You two were amazing out here," they said. "I can't believe you lasted as long as you did with no breaks. I mean, you went almost nonstop for three hours!" The guy sounded amazed.

We aren't like normal humans. I had to remind myself. Our endurance is better and we are stronger than most humans as well.

We left the obstacle course place and went to dinner. Dustfly assured me that this wasn't like a human date, it was just two friends, enjoying a meal. We ordered our food and talked up our return. Dustfly couldn't wait to see how much Thorn and Rose had changed, and what they knew. I expressed my want to see how much the packs, in general, changed. We also discussed, briefly, changes we wanted to make.

When our food came, we sat and ate. As we munched, we joked and laughed. Similar to how we used to.

"Nothings going to be the same, is it?" Dustfly asked, already knowing the answer.

I shook my head. "There's a good chance we might be rejected by the packs."

"What would we do if we get rejected?"

I shrugged. Not really sure how to answer that, or really what we would do. We finished up and went home. Dustfly dropped me off at my apartment then headed to Sunny's old house. 

Before he left, he mentioned that he would be packed and ready to move back before the big meeting. I told him I would keep him posted and let him know when I saw the sign from Tawny. After that, we went our separate ways.