The savage wild

13. The chewable plush bunny

I finally have summer vacation!:D JOY :') 
This chap is kind of a filler, sorry. Still I like it :D
Mja, to the side you find a picture that kind of represents the story a little bit. Though in this case it should be a wolf wearing a human skin, if you get my drift haha. But that would be disturbing, no?

Enjoy!

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Without a doubt it was because I hadn’t changed into a human form for more than 5 years. I felt kind of pathetic as I stood there in the cold white snow, my long white hair sweeping in the wind, my teeth less pointy, but still pointy. My ears a little bit bigger and more hairy than they should. Let’s also not talk about the long, graceful tail that still protruded from my tailbone.
I felt a little uncertain in this body and I took a step, experimenting. I felt so tall, standing on two legs, high above everybody else. With a yelp I lost my balance and I fell on the ground. I lay there, a little perplexed.
Daciana started laughing from beside me and I joined in, throwing my head back and enjoying the human sound of my laughter. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the cold that much and I wasn’t shivering like I normally would have done. I felt the same cold as when I would still have my coat.
I tried to stand again and again I almost fell, but I managed to stand upright again. The tail certainly helped with that.
The god before me snorted. “Are you kidding me? You can’t even walk! How am I supposed to teach you something valuable if you can’t even keep your feet underneath you?”
I ignored him and with a concentrated look I took another step, keeping my arms stretched out beside me for extra balance. I took three steps, then stumbled but managed to keep upright. It did take me a few more tries before I felt a little bit more confident. With a big smile I stepped faster, and felt the cold snow underneath my feet shift a little. The change from paws to feet was amazing. The texture of the earth just felt.. Different. My smile grew and I started running, my balance problem completely forgotten.
Daciana joined by my side, running in an easy lope. The rest of the pack followed, still acknowledging me as their Alpha, even in human form. It made me feel proud for some reason.
My feet pumped faster, and the landscape blurred past. The wind whipped my hair back, screaming against my ears with its silent joy. The smell of snow and pine trees filled my nostrils. Various scents told me the whereabouts of all different kinds of animals.
I ran even faster, enjoying the difference of my body. The wolves behind me huffing to keep up, their bodies working hard to keep up with my inhuman speed as I left the awkwardness of a different body behind me. My heart rate accelerated as I let my body work harder, perspiration starting on my body but immediately drying as it came in contact with the cold weather.
Then I tripped over something, most likely my own feet, and I went crashing to the ground. I started giggling uncontrollably and then suddenly something heavy jumped on me.
With a gasp I turned around and locked Convel in a head grip. He managed to wring himself free however and we started wrestling again, me laughing the whole time.  
“At least you sometimes do act your age,” said a voice coming from behind me dryly. I turned around and looked at the god who was supposed to teach me how to kill. It was hard to see him as another person than the desperate, little boy in that cage full of blood. His eyes were still as hunted, still seeking something or someone to save him. But the only one who would be able to help him was he.
I smiled despite my thoughts, “do you have something against it?” I raised my right eyebrow playfully. He didn’t answer and turned around, “whatever. Let’s start.”

He laughed while my blood splattered on his face. Oh the sweet, sweet madness. How I could ever forget it, when I was confronted with it without any rest.
I avoided his next blow, my body worn down. But I ignored it, like I ignored the blazing wounds on my body. Like Ares had taught me to do. Listen to your body after you’ve won the fight. Or go down trying. Though, the latter was my own input.
Ares smile was crazed, his eyes filled with power as he struck down again. His mighty fist almost catching me in the jaw, but instead hit me on the shoulder. I hissed with the pain as I felt the bruise already forming. Then I retaliated, rolling my body sideways and bringing my leg up to kick him in the side. Then I suddenly changed my weight and hit him with my fist. His instincts were very fast however, and just like his blow earlier, mine bounced off on his collarbone.
We both took some steps back and watched each other. I was breathing heavily and blood was dripping down the side of my mouth where he had caught me with one of his legs.
He wasn’t even breathing fast, and except for the crazy look in his eyes, he seemed unaffected. It made my blood boil a little.
The past two months he had been training me continuously. In the beginning, I was almost unable to walk. Now, I could walk after those sessions. I did have some difficulty with running, however. Whenever we fought like this, I was never able to land a single, perfect blow. He always seemed to be able to evade me. Instead of demotivating me, however, it only fired me up more to land that one single blow. Victory would be so much closer.
I gritted my teeth and attacked, coming in low from the side. I was blocked and he tried to grasp my hands, but I managed to jump and kick him in his femur, using it as a stepping stone to break his nose with my knee. Before I managed it, he grabbed my leg and threw me away. I crashed against the bark of a tree and heard a loud snap. Then everything went black.

“Give me a kiss.” Grandpa pointed at his cheek with his finger, turning it my way so I could reach it. I kissed him, smelling his familiar grandpa-smell. “Thanks grandpa,” I said cheerfully, then I clutched my new asset in my little arms and ran towards my mother. “Look mommy! Grandpa got me a plush bunny!” I proudly presented her the plush animal, already enjoying the moment when I could change into a wolf and rip it to pieces.  
Mother frowned, however. “Darling, I don’t want you to break this one alright? You always do that with your plush animals!” My smile fell and I pouted, looking at the bunny in my arms. “But it is food, isn’t it? Aren’t I supposed to like chewing on it?” A look of surprise fluttered on my mother’s face, then she squatted down to my eyelevel. “Baby, you aren’t okay? It’s a plush animal, you’re supposed to cherish it.” She caressed my cheek and her eyes shone with a little worry. Her hand was shaking slightly, as if she was scared. Maybe she was hungry. I looked at the plush animal again and patted its head awkwardly. I didn’t want to worry my mother, though I didn’t understand. I nodded at her, smiling. “Okay,” I said simply. Then I turned around and ran into the woods.
When I was safely behind the cover of the trees I looked disdainfully at the bunny again. I held it up to my eyelevel and exanimated it carefully. I really couldn’t see it as something different than the representation of food. I put its ear in my mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
Maybe I should wait with ripping it to pieces. If I waited a little, maybe mother wouldn’t find it as annoying. But it was so much fun to demolish things. Especially plush animals. The materials always flew around, which was fun. Chewing and ripping was just a lot of fun in general.
I cocked my head to the side. I could live with only chewing a little. Every kid did it, so it would be alright, right?

My eyes flew open and immediately a scowl formed on my face. I hated it when I passed out. It only happened in situations where I was out of control.
I was in the clearing, at Selene’s place. My scowl deepened when I saw Ares.
“Why am I here?” I growled. “Keep calm, Shivani.” Selene said from behind me. I turned around. She held a bowl in her hand, ogling it thoughtfully. Tension radiated from her shoulders, but her face was expressionless.
Selene finally looked up from her bowl and gazed at me. “Shivani,” she said, “care to explain why you are with my brother?”