Paws of Fire - A Wolfs Aura

Chapter Three - Transformation

Clumsily the young girl shifted from one paw to the other. She had only recently figured out how to transform. It was still difficult for her to coordinate all four paws at the same time and every stick and stone in the forest was a huge obstacle.

She had never seen herself as a wolf in the mirror, so she didn't even know what she looked like. She could only tell that her paws were black.

She fell awkwardly on her fluffy butt and raised her front paw in the air. These things had to work somehow. Childishly, she blamed her clumsiness on the forest. Everything would definitely be easier for her at home. But she had to hide here.

Draco had often told her about werewolves and Mom and Dad had never reacted particularly well to those stories. In the beginning, the wolf was just a fantasy friend of hers. Something fun and sweet. She had no idea that he was more a part of her than she thought.

One day, she was sitting outside, a bright orange moon in the sky, thinking so hard about Draco's stories and one of her wolf friends, when it just happened. She was four years old and initially panicked and also filled with pain. She cried bitterly, alone and with no one around to help her.

But now she could switch between the wolf and the human quite well, almost without pain, even if she only mastered one of both sides.

Now she had to come here where no one could see her.

The girl closed her eyes tightly and returned to her human form. Her long black hair had fallen over her face and she was still sitting on the leaf-covered ground. She missed Draco terribly. He hadn't come to visit her for a week. Whenever he was there, the two of them would do something exciting. He was like an uncle to her, maybe even more, a second dad to her own.

When Draco was away for a while, one of the others often came to visit. Shona, John or Tobi. They also played with her a lot, but not always. Sometimes they just sat around in the house and were bored out of their minds. Hardly anyone wanted to go into the forest with her, which she didn't like at all.

So she went alone from time to time and it was better that way. That way no one would see what she was doing there. In addition to her transformations, she was able to play here undisturbed with her fantasy friends.

She squeezed her eyes a little tighter in concentration. Until she opened it abruptly and looked into the distance, searching. And sure enough, back there, between some trees and bushes, she saw the white head of her wolf friend. She was huge and had a gold chain around her neck from which large moon-blue crystals hung. Her fur was as pure and white as freshly fallen snow. The girl had called her Shimmer because not only her fur but also the crystals shimmered in the light.

In addition to Shimmer, there was Grey, a large dark gray wolf. And she had named her own Shikari.

Draco had mentioned that name in one of his stories and told her that that's what werewolves did - giving names to their own inner wolves when they became a part of them. Because they had something like a mind of their own and it would be as if there were suddenly two people in one, he said. You no longer just had to pay attention to your own feelings and needs, but also those of the wolf, otherwise he would perish. Even though she didn't know what 'perish' meant, it sounded negative and she didn't want anything negative to happen to her wolf friends.

The white she-wolf walked under the beeches and came straight towards her. The large crystals jingled brightly and shimmered from blue to green in the individual rays of light that shone through the branches. The she-wolf nudged the little girl with her snout, who laughed wildly because the soft fur tickled her.

When Shimmer was there, Grey was usually out of sight for a while, as if her mind didn't have enough strength to imagine both of them at the same time. Her theory was that the two of them didn't like each other; they were often as different as day and night. They only really had one thing in common and that was their shyness.

As if both of them were only there for the girl, which they somehow were. They were her wolves - her friends.

Shimmer was much more playful and noticeably cuddly. Grey was adventurous and enjoyed exploring the area. He showed her blueberries that she could snack on and lay in wait with her to observe other forest creatures.While Shimmer was always gentle, Grey often seemed impatient and grim.

Shimmer lay down on the floor next to the girl, snuggled close to her. Relaxed, the little girl leaned back and played with the crystals on Shimmer's collar, one of which didn't even fit in her small hand. The first birds perched on a nearby branch, chirping. Chaffinches and blue t**s. Shimmer was one with nature. The animals in the forest also noticed this. They moved closer and didn't seem to notice the girl either. It's as if she wasn't even there. For a moment, her world was perfect. Here in peace and good company.

"Chany!" called a voice, its sound still muffled by the growth of the forest. The birds fell silent, Shimmer lifted her head and pricked up her ears. The girl pressed her face harder into the wolf's white fur. No, no.... Not now. She didn't want to hear anything - didn't want to go.

"Chandrya!" She recognized John's voice. He looked upset. Who could blame him? He had let a four-year-old get away. Draco would definitely be disappointed in him.

Chany squeezed her eyes shut, still surrounded by Shimmer's warmth. The calls of the searchers almost no longer reached her.

A few minutes, maybe just a few moments, passed. The girl felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder.

"There you are," the voice sounded calm, not at all upset, and yet she was startled. Her piercing light blue eyes bore into his dark green ones. A gentle smile played across his features. Her heart was pounding wildly and her face was beaming with joy.

"You!" She threw herself into his arms and he hugged her tightly.

"My little adventurer." he laughed.

Finally seeing Draco again was more than just a relief. Especially now. She knew he wouldn't complain, even though he certainly didn't like the fact that she was out here alone. After all, visits to the forest were part of their outings together.

"You didn't wait for me." He pouted exaggeratedly and actually, Chany felt a little guilty.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, folding her arms behind her back and shifting her weight alternately from one leg to the other.

"It's okay." Draco's expression relaxed.

He stretched out his arms and lifted her upwards with a jerk. She buried her face contentedly in his warm neck.

Francis walked through the forest with John and Chany's mother.

"You should watch her!" she snapped at John.

"I'm very sorry, but your daughter is quite intelligent for her age. I have no idea how she did it." He shrugged apologetically and Francis glared at him.

"That's a very poor excuse. If you were less busy dozing and more focused on your task..." Francis stopped as he saw Draco running towards them with little Chany in his arms.

"Chany! My baby." Mrs. Elouan rushed towards her. With a few tears in her eyes, she wrapped her daughter and Draco in her arms.

"You got her," she said, sniffing in relief.

"You can't just go for a walk alone!" She squeezed harder.

"Mom, air," Chany pressed out and she loosened her hold.

"It's okay. We definitely should have come back earlier, I'm sorry. She saw me outside and really wanted to go with me," Draco lied in a quiet voice.

Francis, who recognized this immediately, rolled his eyes in annoyance.

But Chany laughed. "We go on trips," she said proudly.

She sounded so happy that even her mother couldn't be angry anymore.

Ms. Elouan, still with Chandrya in her arms, turned in the direction from which they had just come. Now that it was out of her sight, Draco glared at John in disappointment. Of course, he also knew that Draco had lied and that he would definitely get in a lot of trouble once the two of them were in private. Chandrya was special and it wasn't just Francis and Draco who had said that hundreds of times. He also noticed it himself every time he was near her. It was important that no one else noticed and the forest was a dangerous place. Wolves from other packs could get lost here while passing through and find the little one. That should not happen. John knew that too, even if Draco didn't reveal any more about the child than was necessary.

What he didn't know was that many seers had done everything in their power to find out why Chandrya was the way she was. At first there had been no visions, but soon there were snatches that flashed in the minds of the seers. Feelings running through their bodies. One had felt weak, as if someone was sucking all his strength out of him. Another saw a light brighter than the sun. Like a star twinkling alone in the night sky.

Draco and Francis, more than ever, agreed that Chandrya's fate lay in the hands of the Fire Crescent Pack and that she possessed a power that no one else should be able to lay their hands on. Not to mention Draco's promise to Conan. That had been an eternal secret that he had shared with no one else except Francis.They had to keep their own pack in the dark; there was no other choice. Especially now that Conan was no longer there, the situation between the Bloodmoon Pack and the Fire Crescent Pack was more tense than ever.

"We should go back!" ordered Francis.

Mrs. Elouan nodded. She was still too busy being relieved to have her little daughter back with her that she hadn't even responded to Draco's statement.

"It'll be better that way," Draco agreed calmly. He had to control himself not to sound angry, but his annoyance towards John didn't make it easy for him. He didn't want to lose Chandrya, just as much as her own mother. She was his daughter. Maybe not through blood, but in the heart. He couldn't be mad at her for wanting to explore the world. She herself didn't know how special she was. She was just a kid who loved adventure. Together the five went back to the Elouan house. Chandrya had looked over her mother's shoulders one last time and seen a glimmer following her through the bushes. Like a silent farewell.