The Four

The Start of a Journey

The forests of Ablone:

Jacobi felt freedom for the first time in over a century. His headlong flight through the woods around his den had been one of the most cleansing of his long life.

Sides heaving, he approached a near by stream and settled down beside it to drink.

He paused with his muzzle just inches above the water, his entire body froze as he listened for the sound he was sure that he had heard.

A chuckle, one that he knew well but hadn’t heard in over a century relaxed him, and he allowed his muzzle to drop to the water. He drank deeply as he thought over how he wanted to approach this new situation.

Starling knelt beside him and dipped a water skin into the cool flowing stream.

“It’s been a long time, Jacobi.” She lifted the water skin to her lips, sitting back on her bottom at the same time and took a long pull of the water.

Jacobi sighed, he didn’t want to change out of his beast form but knew that if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to speak to the woman beside him.

His fur flowed away from his body swiftly, replaced by the grey tinted skin of his natural form. A long sigh escaped him as his form finally stopped changing, and he sat next to her in a form he had refused to wearfor 139 years.

“Starling.” His voice was hoarse with disuse, and he had to clear his throat a few times. She passed him the water skin. He nodded his thanks as he took it. Relief flowing down his throat with the cold, sweet water.

“How long have you been in animal form, Jacobi?” She asked him in her usual no non-sense manner.

He finished his drink and handed the skin back to her, thought about her question and finally answered. “139 years, 2 months, and 24 days.”

She nodded and took another drink from the skin. Seeming to think over her next words, he waited in silence.

“You know, that seems like a dangerous amount of time to be an animal.” She looked out over the stream and not at him.

Thinking over her words he looked down at the naked body that he had been ‘born’ into. It didn’t feel like his real body at all, and he wondered if that was what she meant.

“I feel like my true self when I am an animal,” He looked towards her. “Do you not regret being unable to wear your true form? Even here, alone with me you hide yourself.” He saw her blush, but refused to back down, looking at her intently.