Dark Despair (Book 2: Together Forever)

Lessons and Setbacks

Vera's POV

I can't believe that mom's teaching me how to shift. What if I can't do it? What if Blackmoon's right? Oh Thor, please don't let Blackmoon be right!

My mom had shifted into a dragon so that she could demonstrate.

"Okay, so what you're going to do is think about being a human."

"What's a human like, Ma?"

"Well, we have no scales, we're small, and have two legs. Like this." I watched as she shifted. I was just about to try when she said, "Oh wait!"

"What's now?"

"Well, you won't have clothes on when you shift."

I cocked my head sideways trying to comprehend what she was talking about. 

"These." She said and pointed to the things she had on.

"Is that's bad?"

"Well, yes, unless you want to be naked and cold."

I tilted my head the other way, "Humans get cold?"

"All the time. Okay, let's head to the cave and we'll get you a blanket and I should have some clothes that I was keeping in case any of you wanted to shift." I watched as my mom shifted back and we flew back to the cave.

Ma found the blanket and 'clothes' as she called them and set them down beside us as she instructed me how to shift.

The first time I tried I felt nothing happen.

Then I imagined having no scales for protection or sensitive hearing or strong nose and I felt a slight ripple, but when I looked at myself I saw that nothing had changed. "Keep trying, Verr, you almost had it."

I imagined the flexibility of my hands and the cold seeping through me and... I fell over in a heap, "Ma! Help!"

She laughed at me, "You did it!"

"I did?"

"Yep! Here, I'll help you sit down." After I had straightened out I heard my mom gasp and mumble, "You even look like him."

"Looks like who, Ma?"

"No-one." I started to shiver and she handed me the clothes which fit perfectly and I immediately started to warm up. 

"Much better. Ma... Why's you speaks different?"

"It's called Norse. I'll teach you as I teach you to walk and fight."

I stood up on my four legs, at least I thought they were legs and tried walking which was quite awkward because my back legs were longer than my front legs.

"I guess I have to teach you how to stand first."

"I thought I does just fine."

"Like me Verr. Here hold onto my arms or front legs and try to get your back legs up like mine."

"Whats! That's crazy! Humans walk likes that?"

"Yes, it's much easier and faster than what you were doing."

I tried doing what she asked me and like one hundred tries later I was finally able to get my paws to stay under me, "Nows what?"

"Now you're going to try to move one leg forward."

"Okay."

I picked my left back-leg up and I fell. "Put more weight on me. It'll help keep your balance."