Rescuing the Enemy

Chapter 1~ Jasper

                                                                     1.  JASPER

        My muscles bunched, ready to spring.  The deer in front of me darted away.  Blood rushed to my head as I exhaled.  Bear butts!  You have to be faster next time!  I scolded myself.  Sweat trickled down my furred face; proof that I wasn't completely bear.  I lowered myself into the leaves on the ground and ran my paw on the ground and watched as it completed the transformation that turned me back into my normal self- human.  I slowly and wearily got up.  A cardinal sat on the rock beside where I had been hiding from the deer.  I stared at it aimlessly, though I was hardly shocked when the red and brown bird turned into a blond haired, blue eyed friend of mine.

        “Celesta; what are you doing here?” I asked sharply, and then felt guilty at my harsh tone.  Celesta, also being a Morph, but of a cardinal, had just as right to be in the forest as I did.  However, a day without food was not biding well with my attitude.  She smiled faintly. I let out a breath.  So at least she didn’t think I was being rude.  Celesta was one person to whom I'd confided my hunting problems to; so she probably understood.  

        “Theodora is being awful.”  I raised my eyebrows, startled.  I knew she didn’t like her aunt, but she usually didn't initially come to me just to tell me that she wasn’t satisfied with her life, which was probably slightly hypocritical that I was upset, as I often talked to her about my issues.

        “Yeah?”  I asked, my tone sympathetic (I was her friend, after all) as I reached the path that led to my part of the forest.  “Well; why don’t you just leave?”

        “No; I can’t.  Theodora may not be the most wonderful person in the world and she certainly hates me, but I get food and a house and bed to sleep in every night.  You-” she looked down, shyly.  “Well, you could come live with me.”

        “No,” I said without thinking, and she looked hurt.  Again, she made me feel guilty.  I understood that I was slightly insensitive, but it wasn't on purpose.  I just wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person.  "I-I'm sorry," I muttered feebly.  "You know, I should really just... just go.  Um, bye."  In other words, I should leave before I reduced her to tears.  Well, actually that wasn't all that likely, I've been surprised over and over again at how tough Cel could be.

        I heard her calling after me, but I didn’t slow down.  I just needed to get home.  After a while, I reached the small field that marked the halfway point of the forest.  About twenty yards away was the other half.  My home.  I didn’t hesitate as I pushed through the tall grass to reach the woods.  Inside, I allowed myself to relax.  I slowed to a walk, found the pond by the cave I dug myself, let the fur envelope my human body, and dipped down to take a drink.  The cool water soothed the hunger sores on my tongue and my mouth, until my thirst was completely quenched, and I stood back up and started to run again.  Running was the only thing that calmed my mind.

        When I reached a clearing, I slowly climbed to the top of one of the trees.  The branches snagged in my fur, but I didn’t mind.  It was part of being a bear.  When I reached the top, Jaka was gnawing on one of the juicy pears.  His mouth curled into a bear smile.

        “Hello Jasper!” he said, genuinely surprised, “I haven’t seen you in ages!  What brings you here?”

        I shrugged airily.  "I haven't seen you in ages,” I said warmly.  "I miss you."  I hungrily took a pear off the branch with my jaw.  Jaka shifted on the top to give me more room, and we stared down, munching in silence.