TAW Tales: How to Train Your Shifters (#1)

~ Chapter 5 ~

"Toothless?"

A brown-haired head poked tentatively around the side of the tree he was hiding behind. He was about eighteen or nineteen, but so small that anyone would think he was only sixteen. Leaves stuck in between his scaled, leader armor, and his hair was tangled and embedded with twigs and sticks.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he saw the flat, black stretch of road in front of him. A few street lights stood pale and ghost-like, their broken lights flickering despite the fact that it was day.

He cried out in alarm and ducked back behind the tree as a red car zoomed by, ruffling his hair and vest.

"What are those things?" He murmured to himself as he peered around the trunk again.

The emerald amulet around his neck glowed faintly and he gasped, surprised. He tried in vain again to tear it from his neck, but it only glowed brighter. At last, he gave up the attempt and left the amulet shining on his thin chest, a green dragon eye blinking up at him as if saying, are you done?

The boy sighed and turned back, brilliant spots of sunlight peppering the ground in front of him through the rainforest's canopy. He'd never been in a rainforest before, and he was more used to oak and birch forests.

"Toothless!" He shouted the name again, hoping to hear the answering roar of his cat-like, midnight-black dragon. "Toothless!?"

He trotted through the forest, calling and listening. Insects chirped and birds that he'd never seen before swooped from the trees above him.

At last, he broke through the cover of the forest and shielded his eyes against the glare of sun that greeted him. In front of him sparkled a glittering lake, and the grass around it was cut short. A path that seemed to him to be made out of one, long rock weaved around the lakeside.

His eyes widened. In front of him, lying in front of the lake, was a snow-white wolf with a black tail tip and front paw. It was stretched out on it's side, it's head turned away and looking out over the lake.

Something moved in it's fur and the boy started when he realized that a small snowy owl with large, amber eyes was sitting between it's front paws. It ruffled it's feathers and preened them.

Then the wolf lifted it's head suddenly and pricked it's ears as a creamy stallion cantered over from somewhere out of the boy's view, followed by what the boy thought was a tiny black wolf pup. Then he realized it was something else when the pup gave a short bark and wagged it's curly tail.

Have you found them?

The boy looked around in alarm as the voice sounded in his head, as if it was coming from someone behind him. With a sudden jolt, he realized it was the wolf's voice speaking, although it didn't seem to notice him.

No. The horse snorted and shook it's mane in frustration. Has Sprinkles had any luck?

No, the wolf sighed. And neither has Sophie or Mystical. Oh, where would they be, Max? The wolf lifted it's head and howled. I want Night so much!

I know, the horse lowered it's nose and nudged the wolf's ear comfortingly. But we have to keep looking. We'll find them eventually, you know we will.

The boy swallowed and started to slowly back away.

Who are YOU?

He jumped back with a startled yelp and came face-to-face with a massive black spider, about the size of a dinner plate, it's eight red eyes gleaming. It was reared up on the floor of the forest, and seemed to tilt it's head curiously.

Are you spying on us? the spider asked.

The boy screamed and bolted out of the undergrowth, stumbling. He tried to run along the forest line, but he heard paws bounding behind him and in an instant the wolf had crash-tackled him, slamming into his back and knocking him to the floor.

It put a paw on his neck so that he couldn't get up, and sat on his back. He could hear it growling in his ear.

Who are you and what are you doing here? the wolf growled as the boy heard the horse and little-wolf come racing over.

He looks kind of like Zero!

The boy looked up as a snow leopard, a kitten, poked his head with her too-big paw. She waved her tail with interest.

Don't be silly Sprinkles, he's not Zero, a female voice chimed in, and the boy knew that it belonged to the Little-Wolf.

He was spying on us! a voice called from afar, and the boy recognized the spider's voice.

"No, wait, let me explain!" the boy begged. "I'm telling you, I don't know why I'm here. If you let me sit up I can tell you what I know."

The was a hesitant pause, then the weight left this back and he scrambled up into a sitting position. The faces of the animals stared at him with interest, and as he watched the massive spider scuttled over to them.

Who are you? the wolf challenged, thrusting it's nose forward. It's glittering eyes were ice-blue.

The boy swallowed. "My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."