by Tora Moon
Histrun wanted to reach the cave he had in mind before stopping; they only had a few more measures of riding to reach it. But as he looked back and saw Blazel’s grimace of pain, he remembered the boy didn’t have experience staying in the saddle for long periods. Taking pity on him, he reined Telen to a stop and dismounted. Telen immediately dropped his head to graze on the tall meadow grass. Blazel remained sitting on his horse.
“Well, aren’t you getting off?” Histrun asked.
“I’m trying, but I can’t move,” Blazel groaned.
Histrun strode to the horse and lifted Blazel down. Tears sprung to the boy’s eyes as his feet touched the ground, and he slumped into Histrun’s arms with a whimper. Histrun growled at himself for forgetting the toll riding a horse took on a novice. After a few milcrons, the feeling returned to Blazel’s legs enough that he could stand on his own. When he walked away, he grimaced and kept his legs apart. Histrun had also forgotten about saddle sores.
“Walk around a bit before sitting,” he told Blazel. While Blazel tottered around the small clearing, Histrun searched through his packs, found the ceramic jar of healing salve, and handed it to Blazel. “Here, put some of this on your sore thighs.”
Histrun raised an eyebrow when Blazel disappeared behind a tree, presumably to drop his trousers to apply the salve. Most Posairs didn’t have any issues with nudity as they bathed together and the safe-houses offered little privacy. As he thought about it, Histrun didn’t recall ever seeing Blazel in the community bathing room in the staff’s village. He had a hunch Blazel didn’t bathe with the White Priestesses either. Histrun shrugged. He’d give the boy his privacy and not force the issue. But if Blazel returned to Strunland Keep, he’d have to get used to being around others unclothed.
Histrun pulled out the pack of food and took out a travel bar and apple for each of them. He’d finished his travel bar and had started munching on his apple by the time Blazel finally emerged from the trees. Pain still tightened the corners of his mouth, but he moved easier. Histrun tossed him his food.
Blazel gingerly sat on a rock. “I never knew it would hurt so much to ride a horse.” He glared at Bosetel. “I don’t want to get back on him for a while—maybe never.”
“Well, you can’t walk everywhere. It does get better after a while.” Histrun stood up and strode to Telen, giving him the other half of his apple. The horse crunched on it, drooling on his hand, which Histrun wiped off on the grass. He turned back to see Blazel rubbing his legs. Riding now would only break open the sores again and wouldn’t allow the healing salve to work.
Histrun rubbed the back of his neck as he decided what to do. Being in his wolf form shouldn’t cause Blazel any more pain. With the magic flowing through him, it might even hasten the healing. Histrun considered the distance to the cave and decided it shouldn’t be too far for Blazel to run in his wolf form. And it would be good training.
“In our practice,” Histrun said, “you’ve only stayed in your wolf form for short periods of time. There may be times when you need to stay in it for a long time, such as when you’re tracking a group of monsters that has escaped the nest, or when you’re hunting for your fighting-pack.”
A look of longing crossed Blazel’s face, making Histrun more determined to talk to the Supreme about taking the boy back with him.
“This isn’t a pleasure trip,” Histrun said. “We’re out here to train. Your training exercise will be to follow me to the cave we’re going to in your wolf form. Try to keep up. If you fall behind, use your nose and your other wolf senses, like we’ve practiced, to find my trail.”
Blazel nodded as he finished his midday meal, then stood up with a grimace. He took a couple of careful steps, then grinned. “My legs don’t hurt as much!” He then followed Histrun’s example and gave his apple core to his horse.
While the horse happily chomped on the treat, Histrun walked to where Telen had wandered in his grazing. He caught up the reins and prepared to mount.
“Is he going to be afraid of me?” Blazel asked, stroking Bosetel’s nose.
Histrun started to shake his head, then paused. “Our horses are used to being around us in all our forms. But Bosetel is a Sanctuary horse, so he might not have been around anyone in their other forms. Hand me his reins before you shift.” Histrun held out his hand.
Blazel led the horse to Histrun and gave him the reins. Histrun took a firm grip on Bosetel’s bridle, where he could control the horse if he spooked, then nodded to Blazel. “I have him. You can shift.”
The boy moved away, then blurred as he shifted. A moment later, a red-brown wolf with a gray streak down its back and nose stood where Blazel had been. The horse snorted and tried to shy away, but Histrun’s firm grip didn’t allow him to move. After a moment, he chuffed and calmed down. Satisfied the horse wouldn’t bolt, Histrun mounted Telen and urged him forward.
He kept the pace slow the first couple of measures, making sure Blazel could keep up with the horses. When it appeared Blazel ran comfortably in his wolf form, Histrun increased the pace, widening the distance between them but keeping Blazel in sight. When Histrun crossed the stream leading to the cave, he kicked Telen into a canter, leaving Blazel behind. They were close enough to the cave that if he had to, Histrun could search for Blazel if he became lost.
Histrun had pulled off Telen’s tack and almost finished currying him when Blazel trotted into the clearing in front of the cave, his tail held high. He saw Histrun and yipped a ‘found-you,’ then shifted to his normal form. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he panted a little, but otherwise he looked like the experience hadn’t taxed him too much. Histrun patted Blazel’s shoulder in approval. “Unsaddle your horse, tie him up where he can graze, then bring your tack inside the cave.”
Histrun lugged his own tack and packs into the cave, setting them to the side. A blackened ring of stones marked where other fires had been laid. A few sticks of wood were stacked nearby from the last people who had used the cave for shelter. After Blazel carried in his own gear, Histrun sent him for more firewood, while Histrun started a fire to ward against the coming night’s chill.
He pulled out the camping gear, which included a frying pan, a spit, and a pot for heating water. As soon he had the fire going, he filled the pot with water from the nearby stream and put it on to heat. He grimaced at the pile of travel bars, unwilling to eat them when fresh game was nearby. He considered taking Blazel with him to hunt, but he wanted to eat sometime tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough for that lesson.
Blazel soon returned to the cave with an armful of wood.
“Wait here,” Histrun grumbled. “Keep the fire going and brew some taevo. I shouldn’t be gone long.”
Outside, Histrun shifted into his wolf form, then trotted from the clearing, heading away from where they had entered. After a few milcrons, his sharp nose caught the scent of a rabbit, and he changed course to follow it. The rabbit bolted in front of him, and he gave chase. He hadn’t had to hunt in a long time, and he almost lost the rabbit. Before it could dive into a hole, Histrun put on a burst of speed and caught it behind the head. A quick jerk snapped the rabbit’s neck. He ruefully admitted he too could use more practice in hunting in his wolf form. The joy of running as a wolf filled him, and he realized he hadn’t been in this form for quite a while and he missed the freedom that came with it. Rather than shift back to his natural form for the long walk back to the cave, he picked up the rabbit in his teeth, and with his tail waving behind him he trotted back.
At the cave, he dropped the rabbit at Blazel’s feet and shifted back into his natural form.
“Do you know how to gut and skin it?” he asked, shaking off the last tingles from his change.
Blazel eyed the carcass and shook his head. Trying to be patient, and wishing he’d caught two rabbits so there’d be enough meat left after Blazel finished his butchering job, Histrun showed Blazel how to gut and skin the rabbit. He cut up the meat into the frying pan, added a healthy portion of t
ubers and some herbs, then covered it with water.
While dinner cooked, Histrun took out a piece of wood and started carving. Blazel sat watching him for a moment before digging into his own packs and pulling out a book. Histrun sighed. Although every Posair was taught to read, most fighters didn’t take books with them into the wilderness. He wondered if Blazel played keshe, a good game to learn strategy, or jelehan, the throwing game helped to build the hand-eye coordination necessary for fighting the Malvers monsters. Histrun had brought a keshe board but hadn’t seen a jelehan set at the Sanctuary. He glanced down at the piece of wood in his hands and changed his mind on what to carve. Instead of a wolf, the wood would become a jelehan stick.
After eating, they brought the horses into the rear of the cave for the night.
“Ugh, that’s awful.” Blazel waved his hand in front of his face and grimaced when the first horse dropped a pile of manure on the ground.
“We can either put up with the smell,” Histrun said, “or walk the fifteen or so measures back to the Sanctuary. Although there aren’t any Malvers monsters or narhili beasts in the mountains, there are other predators that love horseflesh up here, like highland wolves or cougars.”
“I’ll deal with the smell,” Blazel agreed as he plugged his nose with his fingers.
“You’ll get used to it in a little while. The horses will also add their body heat to keep the cave warm. You’ll be glad of that later tonight when the temperatures drop.”
Blazel looked at him like he was crazy before picking his book back up. Histrun wasn’t sure how he could read in the fire’s dim light. After just a few milcrons, Blazel sighed, then put the book back in his pack. He pulled the bedroll close around him.
“Good night, Histrun,” Blazel mumbled. “Thanks for doing this for me. Nobody’s done anything like this for me before.”
Histrun smiled, pleased he could help the boy. He continued to whittle by the dying flames of the fire until it became too dark to see, then he climbed into his own bedroll. For the first time since Zehala had died, he didn’t have trouble going to sleep.
* * *
The next morning, Histrun and Blazel awoke to frost on the ground. While Blazel mucked out the horses’ droppings using a sturdy forked branch, Histrun built up their fire and boiled porridge to break their fast. He added the leftover rabbit bits and tubers to the pot.
Blazel looked askance at the additions. “Shouldn’t you add berries or other fruit to our porridge, not meat?”
“No. You’ll need the added nourishment to get through your training today.” Histrun allowed a corner of his mouth to twitch up. “It takes a lot of energy to shift into your warrior form, especially the first few times.”
Blazel’s spoon clattered into his bowl and his jaw dropped open. “Really? I get to shift into my warrior form?”
Histrun nodded.
“Oh, thank you, Warrior!” Blazel did a little dance in his seat. “I thought I’d never get to learn.”
“Eat up, you’ll need your strength.”
Blazel gulped down his porridge and taevo. Within milcrons he’d emptied his bowl, and he jumped to his feet. “I’m ready! Let’s go.”
Histrun sighed at the exuberance of youth. “You have chores to do first. Take care of your dishes, straighten up your bedroll and packs, and then take the horses to the stream to water them.”
“Yes, sir!” Blazel hurriedly rolled up his bedroll and splashed water on his dishes. Then he ran outside to care for the horses.
Histrun finished his porridge, cleaned his dishes, and straightened up his own bedding. He stood at the cave’s mouth, sipping his taevo while watching Blazel finish his chores. He was pleased to see that even in Blazel’s excitement, he didn’t skimp on the horses’ care.
“I’ve done everything you asked,” Blazel said, skidding to a stop in front of Histrun, panting slightly. His eyes were alight and he wore a huge grin.
“Take a deep breath and relax.” Histrun took a deep breath himself, then another, encouraging Blazel to follow his lead. He put down his mug, then walked to the center of the small clearing, gesturing for Blazel to join him.
“Accessing the magic to shift into your warrior form isn’t much different than what you do for your wolf form,” Histrun explained. “The difference is how you direct it. Using your will, visualize yourself as a warrior. You’ll feel your arms and legs lengthen, your muscles bulk, and your face and jaw change shape. The first few times you do this, it will hurt. But with practice, it will only take a few moments—usually the space of three breaths or less.”
Histrun reached for the magic and let it wash over him. The change always left him feeling tingly, and he shook his fur to rid himself of it. He now stood over six-feet tall, and weighed nearly a hundred pounds more. Long claws tipped his hands and feet, and as he flexed his front claws, he released a small amount of venom from the sacks under his pads. In this form, he could fight the Malvers monsters and be protected from their acidic ichor. Blazel had taken a step back when Histrun had changed, and he realized the boy hadn’t seen many men in their warrior form, except during the Alpha Competitions. Even then, he probably hadn’t gotten close to them.
“Can look,” he growled, his jaws mangling the words.
Blazel gulped and took a deep breath before stepping closer. He slowly walked around Histrun, then stopped in front of him again.
Histrun released the magic and returned to his natural form.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said. “Reach for the magic that is within you, and listen to my voice. I’ll guide you in shifting each part of your body. The first times will take quite a while to finish the change. Keep going. If you feel like you’re becoming stuck, take a deep breath, relax, and allow the magic to flow. I’ll be monitoring you and will be able to pull you out of any tight spots.” Histrun allowed his voice to harden and he narrowed his eyes. “Until you can shift easily, always—and I mean always—shift while you’re with me. If you don’t, you can get stuck in between forms, and it’s the Crone’s own fires to get you out of that state.”
Blazel looked sufficiently scared that Histrun doubted he’d try it on his own. Out here, by themselves, he should be safe. He wouldn’t have other boys egging each other on to shift without supervision. Over the years, Histrun had helped more than a few boys get unstuck. It was never fun or easy, for the boy, or for him.
“Are you ready?”
Blazel nodded, then took a deep breath.
“Good. Now listen to my voice.” Histrun accessed his own magic but didn’t shift. In this state, he could “see” Blazel’s magic and monitor his progress. He guided Blazel through the change, going slowly, letting each body part shift and acclimate to the new form before moving on to the next. Blazel listened well and didn’t rush the process, unlike other boys Histrun had taught. The process went smoothly. An octar later, a young warrior stood in front of him, panting heavily, with joy lighting his face and eyes.
“Did it!” Blazel managed to get through his new jaws, and pumped a fist into the air. Then he yipped as the claw tips punctured the pad of his paw. He’d soon learn what he could and couldn’t do in his new form.
“Okay, the process to return to your natural form is much easier,” Histrun told him. “Your body wants to be in that form. Think about your natural form and being a boy, then release the magic and let it flow back into your inner well.”
A handful of heartbeats later, Blazel stood in front of him, beaming. “Let’s do that again!”
“Not so soon. A lot of magic just flowed through your body. It will take time for it to recover. Walk around the clearing, go get a drink of water, and eat half of a travel bar.”
Over the next few days, Histrun worked with Blazel in shifting to his warrior form. Blazel picked it up quickly and could change faster and easier each time he tried. They practiced moving and fighting in this form. In-between sessions, they shifted to their wolf form, and Histrun taught Blazel how to use his wolf sen
ses to hunt.
In the evenings, they played keshe, and Histrun continued carving the jelehan sticks. He didn’t have anything with him to smooth the wood, but by the time they returned to the Sanctuary, he would have enough various size sticks to start teaching Blazel to play.
By the time they’d been at the cave for a chedan, Histrun was pleased with Blazel’s progress. As they walked back to the cave from a hunting expedition, he smiled as the boy happily recounted how he’d caught the two pheasants he carried. Histrun had only managed to catch a single rabbit, and that through sheer luck. He’d been too busy watching Blazel stalk the pheasants to hunt himself.
The breeze shifted, and Histrun caught a musky scent. Holding up a hand to silence Blazel, Histrun lifted his head and sniffed. Highland wolves! The whinny of a terrified horse reached them.
“Hurry, Blazel, we have trouble! Stay close behind me. When we reach the clearing, if you can, get the horses and take them to the cave. But only if you can safely.” Histrun took off at a run, trusting Blazel would keep up.
Another horse scream, this time in anger, ripped through the still afternoon, followed by a deep howl. Histrun couldn’t tell from the scent how many wolves had found the horses. When he reached the clearing, he saw Telen bucking and whirling, keeping three wolves at bay. A sharp kick caught a wolf in the chest, and it flew across the clearing. It stood up on shaky legs, its lips curled into a snarl. Bosetel had two wolves circling around him. He wasn’t trained to be a war horse, and wasn’t having as much success in keeping the wolves off him. Several long gashes marred his haunches.
The wolves were much larger than their cousins found below the White Mountains, and were an even match for a man in his wolf form. If there were only one or two wolves, Histrun could take them in that form. But with five wolves, Histrun’s only chance was to fight them in his warrior form. He tossed the rabbit to the ground and reached for his magic. With a howl of his own, he entered the fray, first attacking the wolves menacing Bosetel.