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Post by equistar on Feb 11, 2010 21:31:54 GMT -5
"I'll be back in an hour!"
The door slammed shut leaving only the silence of the night. With a deep sigh of fresh air, Audrey tapped quickly down the steps before hitting the stone ground. A black and white blur quick at her heels, she ran down the short drive and flew past the gate without a moment's hesitation. She didn't bother looking back. Instead she kept her eyes focused directly on the road ahead. That was all that mattered. Her golden hair was pulled back in a long pony-tail, but that didn't stop it from blowing behind her. Every streetlight passed cast a brilliant gleam upon it and made her green eyes darkened from the night alight a feral yellow. Cool breaths came in short wisps with every footfall. She was swift and light on her feet. You wouldn't be able to look twice because by the second glance, she was gone like the wind. At the end of the road, she rounded the corner nearly skidding on the smooth pavement as she turned. But she did not stop, did not falter on her way. A short way out, she made another turn, this time more discreetly. It was then that she disappeared from view completely. The streetlights cast themselves solely against the road. There was no silhouette to block them.
Audrey was bent over herself, clutching her knees to hold her balance as she caught her breath. She crouched there panting for a minute or so before rising up against the looming darkness. She'd taken refuge in the woods near her neighborhood, the brink of what eventually cut off into the reserve. She was under the protection of the trees now, their large hulking masses and leaf-filled canopies casting only shadows against the the forest ground. The gloom enveloped her like a blanket. It was here that she felt its full comfort. It was here that night revealed its splendor. The stars were barely visible through the branches, drowned out by the city lights. But those that shone through glittered in a warm welcome. The waning moon was the most brilliant however. It was unaffected by such obstructions and cast its brilliant light across the land like a silver veil. The leaves on the trees caught its lustrous sheen and as the wind rustled through them, the trees erupted in a dazzling dance of soft light and whispering music. Closing her eyes, Audrey felt her vitality restored as these glorious senses overwhelmed her. This was her domain.
Audrey let out a soft sigh and opened her green eyes to face the bicolored figure that had settled itself at her feet. Bending over, she unhooked the red leash that was attached to her mutt before swinging it over a low branch. Lynx was ecstatic at his new found liberty and twirled in circles, tail wagging in a vicious blur. Audrey gave a small smile at her dog's antics. Although not visibly, she paralleled the canine's feelings. For an hour, she too was untethered. While Lynx calmed himself, Audrey took a couple steps back and looking up at the moon a final time, closed her eyes and let herself change. The feeling was euphoric and swept through her in a single wave, engulfing her whole before dissipating all at once, leaving her as before. The shift was instant and when she reopened her eyes only a second later, the new sensations were readily embraced.
With her heightened senses, the shifter was overcome by the true night. Scents of damp leaves and trodden soil filled her small pink nose. She lavished under the smell of the flora. The earth was soft under her large paws; digging her claws into them, she felt the vibrations of life beneath the ground. The wind brushed through her fur, lifting every hair into a flowing swell that left a longing tingle on her skin. Her long pointed ears caught all sounds of the surrounding nature from the shrill cry of a night bird to the faint patter of a vole. The trees played music for her and the winds whispered secrets. Her green eyes had gained a wild yellow and clashed with the silver light of the moon, exploding in vivid colors that danced around her slit iris. Despite lack of a few colors, her vision had only become more intense. She perceived details that otherwise seemed undetectable. But despite her prowess, the bright moon remained unchanged in her increased awareness, beaming and superior as always.
With a flick of her tail and a shake of her silky fur, Audrey padded softly towards Lynx who'd been sitting respectfully in front of her. His head was hung slightly to the side with an expression of awe. The mutt had seen her transform countless times before but each time was like the first. It was so unearthly how his tall mistress could suddenly become a creature of his own size and position. He always found it intriguing and meaningful to be able to get on equal grounds with her. It only deepened their relationship.
"Ok, Lynx", she started, settling herself before him. She was only a little bit taller than him in this form and allowed them to quite literally see eye to eye, "Your leash is the reference point. We meet back here in one hour... Lynx, pay attention!"
The dog had started shuffling his paws and glancing his head in anticipation. His mistress's yell immediately brought him back from his reverie, and he turned his head to face her directly once more, ears erect and eyes wide in alarm.
"Sorry", he quickly mumbled. Audrey gave him a piercing stare, just to make sure he understood the plan. When she was satisfied with his looks of mutual acknowledgement, she gave him a curt not, with which the dog whirled around and sprinted off into the darkness. She stared after him doubtfully until his black and white figure disappeared from view. His thoughts tended to wander when he was caught up in the moment, so she worried he might lose track of time, or worse, forget the meeting place. But she had to have faith in her pet. They'd done this innumerable times before already. After all, who else could she possibly put her trust in?
Seeing him off, Audrey realized she too should begin her exploration. They didn't have much time. Flexing her muscles, the lynx squared her shoulders into a crouch. She stayed there for only a moment, scanning her surroundings, before pushing off the ground so gently, she left no mark upon the dirt. Her back legs outstretched, the feline leapt into the undergrowth. Checking her environment once more, she took off into a brisk, light trot. She had no particular direction or mission, she simply wandered the route her senses guided her to follow. With every step, her fervor increased as she took it all in. The wind running along her body; the terrain under her paws; the feeling of the wild. It was in this form that she could release all anxiety, that she could roam untroubled and free. Such deliverance she felt traversing the forest, that her confidence grew. Only in this form, could she set free her inner being. She was the figure of strength, the essence of nobility.
It was with this newfound boldness that she took a few strides in a swift canter, black tail tip poised in the air like a flag, and without a missing a beat, in one fluid movement, the animal sprung into the air. She was graceful in her jump, seemingly effortless; the epitome of beauty. She landed skillfully on a low hanging branch, digging her claws into the supple wood before bounding up the alder tree in a series of leaps. Near the top, she balanced herself on a thick limb and with natural equilibrium, walked along it towards the end. Audrey was as surefooted in the treetops as she was on the ground below, but that didn't stop her from unsheathing her claws as a precautionary rule. Content with the spot, she settled herself on the bough, lounging upon it with one back leg swung below in a relaxed pose. She breathed in the air of this heightened elevation and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Once again, she turned her brilliant eyes towards the gleaming moon. She reveled in the thought that it seemed to smile upon her, casting her hidden little figure in a swathe of light. She wanted this moment to last forever.
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