FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Taiyra." Hearing her name called, Taiyra looked up to see one of the elders standing over her, his shadow stretching out behind him. He wore a long, loose robe and leaned heavily on a gnarled wooden stave that served as a walking stick. "Come." He said once he had her attention, then turned and began to walk away.

Taiyra dropped the twig she had been using to draw patterns in the soil and scrambled to her feet to follow after him. The elder was slow and sometimes had to stop to catch his breath, but he asked for no assistance, so the young doe offered none and stayed respectfully at his side or behind him as they made their way to his tent.

Despite her outward patience, inside Taiyra was bubbling over with excitement and curiosity. She had been learning the ways of the druids since she had come to live with her grandmother, also an elder, and she had eagerly taken to her lessons. There was not a plant in all the valley that she could not identify. There was not a bit of lore she could not recite from memory. She even had ready the seeds that would grow into her very own life-vine when she was finally accepted as a healer. But she had not yet learned to change her form.

Shape shifting was a gift granted to the druids long before the Great War and the coming of the humans, or so said the lore she had been taught. Taiyra had waited eagerly for her chance to learn, and had long ago chosen her forms. Her thoughts were still racing as they finally reached the elder's tent and he had to call her name twice before she was able to calm them enough to pay attention again.

"Taiyra!" He said a third time. "Wake up lotha degahr." Little dreamer. Taiyra knew the old tongue, but rarely heard it spoken. It had been part of her studies to learn it.

"I'm sorry, Elder Swiftclaw." The young doe replied, bowing her head. "It won't happen again, I promise. Usually I pay better attention, it's just that I've been studying really hard to be the best healer I can and I really want to learn how to change form and I-" Her words were halted by the gentle pressure of a hand on her shoulder.

Taiyra looked up, her eyes meeting the kind dark brown ones of the elder bull. "Be at ease, young one. I do not have many years left in me, and you will be my final pupil. Let's not waste what time is left to us." The doe nodded solemnly, her tail tucking shyly between her legs. "Do you know the tale of how we came to have the ability to take the form of other creatures? Come, let us sit, then tell me what you know."

Taiyra followed the elder to a pair of large pillows, settling and waiting for the much slower elder to do the same. When he finally gave her a nod, she cleared her throat and began to recite the legend she had learned. "Long ago, when the world and the tarous were both still young, there was a young bull named Adahapi Windseeker. Adahapi was a wise and gentle leader of his tribe, for in those young days we still needed leaders to help us make decisions. He led his tribe well and was prosperous, but he was struck with grief when his loyal mate died in child birth.

"Unable to deal with her loss, Adahapi left his tribe to mourn and fled into the wilderness. When it began to rain, he sought shelter from the storm in a cave, but the cave was occupied by a mother manicora that had just lost her cubs. At first Adahapi was afraid the manicora would attack him, but he soon recognized the same grief in her that he felt in himself. He reached out to comfort the ailing beast and in return was comforted.

"When the rain passed, Adahapi decided to stay with the manicora, and they became friends. In time the grief they shared was replaced by love for each other, but as he was a tarin and she a manicora they could not be lifemates. This saddened Adahapi, who grew more and more determined to find a solution. He began to abandon the ways of his people and began to act more like a manicora. He began to walk on all fours, to eat raw meat, and to roar."

"At first he felt himself to be a fool, did he not?" The elder interrupted, chuckling softly. "And no doubt he looked the fool, awkwardly walking on hands and hooves, trying to find a grace not meant for his body."

"Yes, Elder Swiftclaw. At first he felt very foolish indeed, and the meat made him feel ill, for the tarous are not carnivorous by nature." Taiyra agreed. "But as time passed, he began to change. The more he began to understand the manicora and how they moved and lived, the better he could imitate one and the more his mind began to believe he was a manicora. The story does not say when his body changed as well, but he and the mother became lifemates and lived many years together, but the mother aged more quickly than Adahapi, for tarous have always been long lived, and soon she was too old to hunt.

"Adahapi tried his best to provide for her, but with her age also came illness and she stopped eating. In desperation to save her, Adahapi returned to the village he had long ago fled from, but his people could not understand his growls and were frightened by his roars. In frustration, he changed back to his long abandoned true form, surprising his people. In exchange for healing and helping him care for his mate, Adahapi agreed to teach his people how to change forms like he had.

"And so it was that Adahapi and the mother came to live among the tribe, where they were fed and kept healthy by the healers, and true to his word, Adahapi taught the tribe how to change their forms. This knowledge was soon passed to all of the tarous tribes, but the knowledge was almost lost after the Great War. To keep the secret from the humans, who would surely abuse it, it was decided that only the druids, who are the closest to the natures of all things living, would be taught how to change their forms, and only those worthy of the knowledge would receive it."

The elder nodded and smiled slightly. "Very good, Taiyra. I am glad you know the tale. Do you understand its meaning?"

"I... I think so." Taiyra said hesitantly. "In order to change, we have to embrace the nature of the beast and change ourselves to fit it, not try to change the beast's nature to suit ourselves?"

"Very good, young one." Elder Swiftclaw replied, giving another nod. "And you must care for the creatures whose form you wish to borrow. But you should never abandon yourself to become the beast. There are those who forget themselves when they take other forms, either to escape something unpleasant or because they feel that life would be better as a beast. They often become lost to us forever, and so also is lost the wisdom they could have shared."

"I understand, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra said softly. "I understand that the way of a druid and a tarin is to find a balance in all things. We are connected to all things, and all things are connected to each other."

Again the elder nodded and smiled at his young pupil. "As long as you remember these teachings and keep them close in your heart, I think you are ready to learn what I have to teach you." The elder bowed his head again and was silent. The seconds passed by in this expectant silence and Taiyra was afraid the old bull had fallen asleep on her. She was just about to say something when he looked back up at her, his glare intense, his deep brown eyes now the bright gold of an eagle. "She is coming now to meet you." He said softly before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were back to normal.

"Um, who is coming, Elder Swiftclaw?" The young doe asked shyly. She looked around the spacious tent, her eyes briefly alighting on the familiar objects surrounding her; a bedroll, a rack of drying herbs, a small collection of empty glass jars, a few decorative trinkets, and another crooked staff, although this one was supported by a base that allowed it to stand upright.

"Blackwing." He said simply, turning his attention to the open entrance way to the tent. The piercing cry an eagle preceded the black blur that entered the tent and flashed past the pair of tarous before settling on the upright staff and emitting another cry. "Ah, Welcome sister." The elder said jovially.

Taiyra blinked several times before turning her attention to the large black bird that perched calmly on the bent staff, watching them indifferently. "Oh! Hello!" She greeted the bird timidly, turning to face the creature properly. "Are you Blackwing?"

"Indeed she is." The elder answered instead. "Blackwing is almost as old as I am, and like myself, you will likely be her last student as well. Treat her with nothing but respect and reverence and she will accept you." Taiyra's mouth fell open slightly as she listened, her eyes widening in awe. "And in return, she will teach you how to fly."

"Is she a tarous too?" Taiyra asked, her eyes never leaving the large bird.

"No, young one, she is an eagle and always has been." The elder bull replied, chuckling softly.

"Then how will she teach me to fly, Elder Swiftclaw?" Taiyra asked, finally turning to look back at him. "I won't understand anything she says."

Hm, perhaps you do not understand the old ways as much as you have led me to believe." The elder chided. "Do you really think that speaking is the only way to communicate? Did Adahapi and the mother manicora speak the same tongue? Did it stop them from communicating?"

"Oh." Taiyra whispered the single word, bowing her head shamefully. "I'm sorry, Elder Swiftclaw. My excitement got the better of me and I dd not think my question through before asking."

"Then you have learned another important lesson, young one. Never allow your emotions to rule your head. They will lead you to make bad decisions." The bull lectured her with the patience of an old teacher. "Now I suggest you go over and make Blackwing's acquaintance. I'm sure you'll learn how to speak to each other soon enough."

Taiyra rose to her feet and approached the large bird with head submissively bowed. "Hello... again... Elder Blackwing." She said shyly, her voice soft. "I've never been this close to such a large bird before."

"Birds are not native to our world." Came the elder's voice behind her. "Did you know that? They were brought here with the humans. Some as pets, some as food, and others found their way in by accident as wild animals occasionally do. Because they are not from our world, you will find the bird's form to be the hardest to master. If you can overcome this challenge, however, you will be able to master any form you wish."

"I understand, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra replied absently, all of her attention focused on the indifferent eagle. Her heart pounded thunderously in her chest and she could only seem to pull air into her lungs by short, shallow breaths. Her tufted tail whipped back and forth excitedly, batting her ankles, and her large ears folded back shyly. "She's so beautiful."

As if understanding the compliment and accepting it as her due, Blackwing gave a click of her beak and stretched out her vast wings, the feathers separating as they fluffed out, then collapsed back together again as the wings were closed and the eagle gave her head a small shake.

Taiyra's eyes widened further as she watched, her mind racing as she imagined herself as an eagle, golden wings spread to the breeze and sharp eyes watching the ground race below her. The flapping of imagined wings carried her farther into the wilderness of her imagination until Blackwing let out a loud screech, shattering the tarin's daydream and making her raise her hands reflexively to cover her ears. The soft chuckle of the elder behind her added to Taiyra's embarrassment at being caught dreaming.

"Sorry." She said, ducking her head again before turning to face the elder again. "I feel like I should be offering her something first. Some kind of gift or treat. That's how you usually befriend an animal." Elder Swiftclaw gave only a noncommittal grunt, his eyes half-lidded as he watched his pupil. "What does she like?"

"What do you think an eagle likes?" He asked her in return.

Taiyra turned back to the large bird, pondering the question. "Well, I imagine she eats meat and fish, but... I don't have any of either. Elder Swiftclaw, do you know where I could find her a treat?" The elder nodded, his lips twitching in a smile, and silently pointed to a small leather sack just behind the stand.

Taiyra was careful not to bump the eagle while she reached for it, finding within several strips of dried kordox meat and a few small dried fish. The young doe picked up one of the strips of red meat and carefully held it up toward the great bird.

Blackwing turned her head, her sharp eyes focusing on Taiyra for the first time, scrutinizing her before turning her gaze to the offering. The eagle's head tilted as she inspected the meat for several long seconds before reaching out with one large, grasping claw. The eagle's curved talons were almost as long as the doe's own fingers, although only half as thick. They clutched the strip of dried meat tightly as Blackwing returned her leg to her perch, standing firmly on the strip while her beak tore tore it into smaller, more easily swallowed chunks.

"That was very good, _lotha degahr._You have been taught well." The elder said. "It usually takes a few snips of the beak before most younglings think to offer a treat to get into Blackwing's good graces. I think when your training is complete you will make a fine druid."

"Thank you, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra replied softly. Only the rapid twitch of her tail betrayed the emotions that boiled frantically just below the surface at the compliment.

After being fed three more strips of meat and one of the fish, Blackwing proved to be a patient mentor. The elder druid came to stand beside Taiyra, answering her various questions. With gentle, probing fingers, Taiyra felt for the muscle beneath the feathers, stretched out the eagle's wings to study their span and joints, even had the large bird open her mouth so Taiyra could see her tongue and throat. For three full days, Taiyra studied the eagle, stopping only when exhaustion drove her or the elder to a break. By the end of her third day, the young doe felt that she was ready to change.

"Don't worry, Taiyra, there is no danger for you here." The elder bull encouraged. Blackwing sat perched on his shoulder, watching the young doe curiously. "Just picture yourself in your mind as a bird and concentrate on that image. Believe in it. Feel your new form until it becomes you."

The young doe's ears flicked nervously, but she nodded and offered no protest to the elder's instructions. She took in a deep breath before closing her eyes, bringing up her day-dreamed image of herself as a golden eagle, soaring through a cloudless sky. In her mind, her feathers rippled as the winds blew through them. Great wings flexed and folded. Talons stretched and clenched. Her emitted cry was a proud announcement as it echoed through the empty air. She was soaring.

When Taiyra again opened her eyes, night had fallen and the tent was mostly dark, gently lit by a single candle of rendered kordox fat. "That was wonderful for a first try." The elder said once he noticed that she had come awake. "I could tell just by watching you move that your vision felt real to you. And that is very good." He smiled at her and nodded toward his bed roll. "These old bones of mine need to rest now, but we will continue our lesson tomorrow."

"I understand, Elder Swiftclaw. Thank you." Taiyra said softly as she rose and went to her small pile of folded clothing. The heavy cloak would protect her from the night's chill, but its added weight made her feel heavy, and she was tempted to discard them again. She longed to soar through the skies like she did in her imagination. "May you find only peace in your dreams, Elder!" She said over her shoulder before darting out of the tent and heading for her own dwelling, shared with her grandmother and two other elders.

As the young doe ran, she spread out her arms, imagining them to be covered in feathers, ready to lift her into the air with a single flap. She pretended to soar low across the ground, occasionally giving her arms a flap to keep herself aloft. But as she opened her mouth to let out her cry, a mangled honk came out instead, nearly making her pitch herself to the ground as she was jerked back from her imaginary world.

Several heads began to poke out of doorway flaps, looking around and questioning the source of the odd noise that had roused them from sleep. Taiyra felt like a milk calf as she bowed her head in embarrassment, scurrying quickly to her grandmother's tent and dashing under her blanket without even removing her winter coverings. As she drifted into sleep, she hoped no one had spotted her and connected her to the disturbance.

The young doe's dreams were filled with more flying and she hurried to the elder's tent as soon as she had finished her breakfast, her eagerness brimming over. The elder was still laying in his bedroll when she arrived, so Taiyra settled down on one of the pillows to wait, closing her eyes to imagine herself as an eagle as she had before.

"Impressive." The voice broke Taiyra's concentration, making her snap her eyes open. The world looked strange for a moment, but then a blink brought everything back into focus before she could identify what was wrong. Feeling a slight tingling in her arms, she looked down to see several feather-like protrusions melt away into her fur. "You've almost got it, young one. You just need to strengthen your will."

The young doe looked up at the elder, who was sitting up in his bedroll. Her eyes were wide with excitement and a bright smile was tugging at her lips. "I-I was doing it, Elder Swiftclaw! I was doing it! I was turning into a bird!"

"Indeed you were." He agreed, reaching for his walking stick before being able to rise slowly from his bed. "You are a very fast learner, and this is good. Lamora was also a fast learner." The elder stretched himself before walking over to his pupil.

"You mean my grandmother?" Taiyra asked in awe, trying to imagine the now-elder as a young apprentice like herself.

"Indeed I do." The old bull confirmed. "She was also student to Blackwing and myself. And just as eager to learn. You remind me a lot of her, little one. I feel shame only that I never had the chance to meet your mother."

Taiyra's smile began to fade and some of the light began to fade from her eyes. "Yes... me too." She replied softly. The smile swiftly returned, but it was forced and did not reach her eyes. "But what's been done can not be undone, so we must not look to the past for sorrow when there is plenty today. That's what Grandmother used to tell me all the time."

The elder frowned, sorry that he had brought up the subject of Taiyra's slain family. "Yes... That is what I used to say to her as well." He said softly, extending a comforting hand to rest on her shoulder. "So let us abandon this sorrow to its place and turn our thoughts to happier things."

"Like learning to fly." The doe replied, her cheerfulness returned.

The elder chuckled softly, his weight leaning heavily on his walking stick. "Well, I'll leave that part of your training to Blackwing. First you must learn to take on and hold your shape. You can't very well learn to fly without wings."

"I understand, Elder Swiftclaw. And I promise to do my very best to learn everything you both have to teach me." The doe said excitedly.

"I have no doubt of that, lotha degahr." The elder replied affectionately. "And I think I know something that will help you." The elder's joints cracked with age as he turned and he let out a short grunt, pausing a moment before slowly walking back toward his unmade bedroll. The young doe frowned slightly as she watched his slow walk, his movements stiff and pained with age and the lingering chill of early morning. She wanted to offer him aid, but since he did not ask her for it, to offer would mean she saw him as weak and feeble, a grave offense.

After a while he made his way to his sleeping place and Taiyra heard more loud pops as he bent to retrieve something nearby. When he returned again and settled himself a short distance from her, Taiyra saw that he had a small drum clutched in one hand. "Unburden yourself, young one, and then close your eyes." He said after a moment. "Imagine changing into the eagle, and then will it."

Taiyra nodded and removed her cloak and light coverings, folding them neatly into her cloak. Until she was able to master her transformation, clothing would be a hindrance and a distraction. She then closed her eyes and imagined herself standing on the edge of a high cliff. When the first beat of the drum sounded, it startled her, but a rhythm quickly emerged. Following the beat of her heart, the soft drum beats soon faded from her attention even as they soothed her, and once more Taiyra was alone in her mind.

She looked down from the cliff edge to the grassy plains sweeping out below her. A soft breeze sent ripples through the grass and occasionally sent small insects into the air. A glance at the sky showed a deep cloudless blue, the two suns shining down warmly. It was a perfect day, in a perfect land all her own. Raising her arms, the doe slowly leaned forward, then finally gave a quick push with her hooves.

She was falling. The wind tangled her loose mane and stung her eyes. The cliff became a reddish blur as it raced past her. The swaying sea of emerald grass rose up swiftly to meet her. Her fingers stretched further as if trying to grasp the sky itself, and she tried to force them to become wings, but the rapidly approaching ground made it hard to concentrate on forming feathers. Still, she was determined not to fail. Only through challenging herself could she strengthen her weaknesses.

She could see individual blades of grass as she fell, and fear darkened her perfect sky. Her heart raced and her determination grew as her survival instincts began to take over. Too late, the great golden eagle flapped it's wings before colliding with the ground.

Taiyra opened her eyes, feeling an extreme soreness in her muzzle, and was surprised to see nothing but darkness. Disoriented, it took her several long seconds to realize that she had fallen over and her face was pressed flat to the ground. The drum had stopped and no sound came from the elder. Slowly, the young doe lifted her arms to push herself back into a sitting position, wondering what had happened, and looked around her, blinking away her confusion.

The elder was the only one to have witnessed her embarrassment, she saw to her relief, as he sat with the small drum in front of him. His lips were struggling to hide his smile, evidenced by the twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"I... I think I need to..." Taiyra began to speak, but her mind was in turmoil and she could think of nothing to say. Forgoing the politeness of a blessing to the elder, she fled from his tent and ran from the camp, needing to find a safe and quiet place to choke down her shame and think about what had gone wrong, and what she could do to improve it.

When morning came, it found a shy and uncertain doe kneeling at the open door of the elder's tent. "Come inside, lotha degahr." The elder beckoned. "Why are you hesitant to start your lesson today? Have you come to tell me you've given up on learning to fly already?"

"Oh, no, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra replied with a vigorous shake of her head. "Not at all! I still very much wish to learn, it's just that my behavior yesterday was..." Her voice faded as she tried to decide on the right words for her apology.

The elder bull chuckled softly and waved his hand in welcome. "You let pride get in your way, but I understand, young one. It is something we all must overcome." He watched patiently as Taiyra entered the tent and settled herself in the usual place, although he remained on his bed roll, an extra blanket draped loosely over his shoulders. The small drum sat before him. "I hope you will forgive me as well, young one, I'm afraid these old bones get tired so quickly these days. And the damp chill of morning never completely goes away anymore."

"I understand, Elder Swiftclaw. There are days that Grandmother has the same complaints. She says that a cup of sunreed tea often helps when the aches come if you would like me to fetch you some." Taiyra offered helpfully.

"Hm, I think that would be lovely. We shall both have some tea before the day's lesson begins."

Several minutes later Taiyra found herself standing again on the imagined cliff. The drumbeat of her heart sounded softly in her ears and the bright light of the sun warmed her patterned fur. The sky was again a glowing cloudless blue and the grass rippled in the gentle breeze. The young doe smiled as she looked around at the paradise she had created for herself.

Determination steeled her resolve and made her feel like failure this time would be impossible. She leaned forward before pushing off the cliff, spreading her arms as she fell. She felt herself begin to change while the ground was still a safe distance away and grew excited, victory nearly in her grasp. Slight prickles ran along her skin as feather began to sprout, replacing the fur. The bones in her arms and legs began to painlessly shorten and shift. The world began to grow blurry before coming into much sharper view for her new eyes.

Unfortunately, Taiyra became so focused on her transformation that she forgot to pay attention to the swiftly approaching ground. She gave a loud squawk as she crashed into the soil, her eyes snapping open to find herself again strewn across the floor of the elder's tent, her chin pressed tightly against her chest as her forehead attempted to borrow into the ground.

The elder chuckled good-naturedly at her misfortune. "You did better that time, I could see it in your face before you fell."

Taiyra righted herself and bowed her head shyly, her tail swiping back and forth rapidly. "Thank you, Elder Swiftclaw." She replied in a hushed voiced. "I think I almost understand."

"Would you like to try again?" The elder asked, pulling his blanket tighter around his shoulders.

"Yes, Elder Swiftclaw, I think I should." Taiyra replied. "It's the only way I'll learn."

Collision followed collision and for several of the following days Taiyra found her frustration and soreness growing as she woke to find herself laying splayed on the floor. The elder bull offered what encouragements he could, but the young doe knew that her success depended solely on herself. She refused to give up nor let the growing clouds of doubt to fill her brilliant sky.

Taiyra was near exhaustion when she decided to give one final attempt before ending the day's practice. As she leapt from the cliff, she closed her eyes and felt the familiar tingle of her body changing. When the change was complete, she gave a hard flap of her wings, expecting as always to crash anyway. Instead she felt a tremendous pull, and then she felt a rush of wind. Opening her eyes, Taiyra saw that she was flying several feet above the endless field of waving grass. She was flying! Opening her beak to give a cry of victory, her own voice sounded.

As she came back to herself, Taiyra was surprised to find herself standing. Her arms were lifted above her head in celebration and the elder was beaming at her proudly. She began to lower her arms when she realized that they felt strange. Turning her head to look, she was surprised to find wings in their place, the perfectly-formed feathers outstretched and reaching. Excitement and pride filled the young tarin, even as the feathers began to fade away, replaced by her own hands.

She had done it. She had changed.

"You have done it, young one!" The elder exclaimed, reaffirming her thoughts. "That was a complete transformation into an eagle!"

Taiyra threw herself forward and hugged her mentor's neck, excitement making her giddy. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Elder! This is so wonderful! I must go tell Grandma immediately!"

"You have been working hard, young one." The elder replied, chuckling softly as he returned the hug with one arm. "Take a day to rest and recover. Then we will work on holding your new form when your eyes are open."

"Thank you, Elder Swiftclaw!" Taiyra exclaimed. "May your fur!" With that she turned and dashed out of the tent. The day of rest was hard for the eager doe, but she knew the elder needed it as much as she did. His aging body was hurting him more and more, barely helped by the medicinal tea she brought him every morning.

When the morning came to return, she rushed to the elder's tent, surprised to find the doorway closed. She stood conflicted for several seconds before she crept inside, her ears folding back in worry as she saw the elder's still form, lit by a single candle. Several thick blankets had been piled over his sleeping roll and pulled up over his head, but she did not see any rise or fall of the blankets to indicate he was breathing. "Elder Swiftclaw?" Taiyra whispered, kneeling beside his bedroll and stretching out a shivering hand as she fought back worry. "Have you gone to watch over us from the spirit world?" As her hand rested lightly atop the pile of blankets, she felt no warmth, and she lowered her head, closing her eyes grim acceptance. Her teacher was gone.

The flutter of wings made the doe perk her ears as Blackwing flew into the tent, landing on her usual perch and looking at her with her usual aloofness.

"Taiyra?" Came a familiar voice behind her a moment later. "You're certainly here early. I thought I'd have at least another hour before you showed up. Did you bring some of your tea?"

Tiayra spun around in surprise, blinking as she saw the elder stepping into the tent. "Oh! Elder Swiftclaw? I'm... um..." She snatched her hand away from the blankets and hoped her surprise was less evident than she was afraid it was. "Of course I brought tea. I'm sorry to come so early, I'm just-"

"Ah the energy of youth." The elder chuckled as he hobbled into the tent, leaning heavily on his walking staff while his other hand clutched a small satchel. "If but I could borrow some of it. Of course you're here early. You're eager for your next lesson. I was feeling rather spry this morning so I went out scavenging a bit, but I can prepare these herbs later. Make yourself comfortable and we shall begin."

Feeling her heart lighten, Taiyra eagerly bounded to her feet and went to her usual place, slipping out of her loose coverings. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Elder Swiftclaw."

The elder chuckled and brought something out of the satchel before setting it aside. "I am as well, and I think to celebrate, I shall give you a gift. I think this will help you." With slow and careful movements, the elder walked over to where Taiyra sat and tied a black feather into her forelock.

"Oh! Thank you greatly, Elder Swiftclaw!" The young doe exclaimed, reaching up to finger the feather. "Is it from Blackwing?"

The elder nodded, returning to his bed and wrapping himself in his heavy blankets. "It is indeed. She lost it just this morning, actually. And I think it will help you to focus. Now that you have learned how to change, you must learn how to keep your new form when your eyes are open."

"How will it do that?" Taiyra asked, her hand dropping into her lap.

"Simple." The elder replied, reaching for the small drum. "After you have changed and open your eyes again, you will have one black feather. This feather shall remind you of your new shape and help you hold it in your mind. You must not let go until you are ready to change back."

"I understand Elder Swiftclaw." The young doe said with a smile. As the soft sound of the drum came to her ears she closed her eyes, opening them again when she had fully changed in the waking dream. Remembering the elder's words, she tried to keep the image of herself as an eagle within her mind even as she was immediately tempted with distractions.

"Very good, Taiyra! Very good indeed!" The elder praised her cheerfully. "Now spread your wings for me. Dutifully the golden eagle's wings began to pull outward, but almost immediately the feathers began to melt away and the bird's form became amorphous until the young doe stood in it's place, her arms held out to either side. "You lost your focus, young one." He chided, his hands patting out their familiar rhythm across the stretched skin of the drum. "Try again."

It took several attempts and one fall before the Taiyra was able to keep her shape while moving the various parts of her body. Only when the elder was sure of her control did he allow her to rest, sharing a late dinner of vegetable stew. In the morning, he assured her, Blackwing would take over her training.

Taiyra tossed and turned restlessly in her bedroll, kept awake by excitement and anxiety despite her tiredness. Her training felt like it was taking forever and she wondered nervously if anyone else had taken so long to learn how to change form. She hoped she would not fail and shame her Grandmother and Elder Swiftclaw. But she was also eager to begin training with Blackwing. She finally fell asleep just as the sky was lightening in preparation of the first sun to rise.

Running on a few restless hours of sleep, Taiyra struggled to keep her eyes open as she walked to the elder's tent. Blackwing sat on her perch, watching the tired doe with her piercing eyes. "You're late this morning, lotha degahr. Are you unwell?"

"No, Elder Swiftclaw. I'm sorry to keep you and Blackwing waiting. It's just tha-"The rest of her words were lost to a yawn as she walked to her usual spot and sat down. Her head bowed and her eyes closed in readiness, but she was asleep before the elder put the first hand to his drum.

The older druid chuckled softly, setting his drum aside, but his avian companion was much less patient. Blackwing let out a loud cry and launched herself toward the sleeping doe, screeching again while slapping the tarin with her wings.

Taiyra cried out in surprise and fell over as she was assaulted, further disoriented by the seeming tornado of black feathers and ear-piercing screams. She lifted her arms to protect herself and the eagle's wing continued to buffet her for the space of several more breaths before she finally flew back to her perch, giving a final indignant screech.

Taiyra lowered her arms slowly, blinking in surprise. When she slowly raised her head, the elder's soft chuckle finally reached her ears. "I'm afraid sister Blackwing does not have my patience. Are you alright,lotha degahr?"

Taiyra ducked her head as she sat up, her ears folding back in shame and her tail curling tightly against her legs. Although there had only been affection in the elder's voice as he spoke the words 'little dreamer', Taiyra could only feel embarrassment at their reflection of her rude behavior. "I am so sorry, Elder Swiftclaw. Blackwing. Please forgive me, both of you."

"You are forgiven, young one." The old bull said, amusement in his tone. "Are you sure you are feeling well? If you need another day or two..."

"No, Elder Swiftclaw." She said as his voice faded, the question unfinished. "I'll be alright. More time will only make things worse." Taking a deep, calming breath and releasing her shame, the doe closed her eyes and began the process of her transformation.

"Very good, young one." The Elder praised as she opened her eyes again, holding onto her form. "And now I leave you in Blackwing's care for the rest of your training. Heed her well, she has raised many fledglings in her time."

Blackwing swooped down from her perch to land beside the transformed tarin. Her sharp gaze passed over her in close inspection, then the large eagle walked past her in a lumbering waddle that seemed unbecoming of the majestic animal. Taiyra found herself sharing a similar gate, however, as she followed Blackwing out of the tent, leaving the chuckling elder behind them.

Blackwing stopped on top of a small swell. It only rose out of the ground a few feet, but to Taiyra it felt like climbing a real mountain and she was barely able to keep her form, find walking as an eagle to be cumbersome and ungainly.

As Taiyra reached the top of the swell to stand beside the large black eagle, Blackwing turned her head to look at her, a transparent film of skin flicking across the bird's eye before retreating again. The young doe was so entranced by the blink that the swat of the eagle's wing caught her completely by surprise.

Giving a screech of shock, Taiyra went tumbling down the shallow slope, melting out of her bird form along the way until she was a tangled pile of limbs at the bottom of the swell. Blackwing's caw resembled a laugh in the young doe's ears as she tried to right herself. When she finally managed to get her legs back under herself and sat up, she looked up at the eagle with a look of hurt and confusion, but Blackwing simply began preening one of her wings, seeming indifferent to the tarin's embarrassment.

Taiyra assumed that there must be some lesson the old eagle was trying to teach her, so she changed back again and made her way back up to the top of the swell, only to be swatted back down again as soon as her attention wavered.

The third attempt had Taiyra focusing so hard on the eagle's wings that she forgot to keep track of her form and changed back into a tarin while waiting for the signal to duck. Both wings swatted furiously at the doe's face, sending her falling backwards in surprise.

For several minutes, Taiyra sat and looked at the indifferent eagle, trying to figure out the lesson she was being taught. While her discomfort seemed to amuse the large bird, her actions did not seems to be done for the sake of animosity alone. "Oh!" She finally exclaimed. "I think I understand now! It's all about focus." Proud of herself for figuring out what the eagle was teaching her, Taiyra changed her form again, finding even that was getting easier the more she did it, and trundled back up to the top of the swell to stand beside Blackwing.

When the swatting wing came again, Taiyra was ready for it and managed to retain her balance and her form. Blackwing made the attempt several more times before deeming the lesson learned. Spreading her own large wings, the eagle gave them a single flap and a hop, sailing easily to the bottom of the swell, then looking up at the young doe as if to say that she was to do the same.

Taiyra grew excited and stretched out her own wings, giving a small hop as she flapped, but instead of sailing gracefully down to the ground, she flipped onto her back. Blackwing's laughing caw filled her ears as she flapped wildly, trying to figure out how to right herself.

The rest of the lesson, once Taiyra figured out how to roll back onto her feet, was spent in learning how to make the short hop from the top of the swell to the bottom, and the young doe prided herself on her ability to crash or flip over, which she did frequently, without losing her borrowed form.

When she finally managed to succeed, she first feared it had been a fluke and promptly charged back up to the top of the lump of land to try again. When she did it a second and a third time, she let out a cry of triumph and let her bird form melt away.

Too late, the young doe realized her mistake as her vision was suddenly filled with a torrent of black feathers and she fell over.

The following days were spend on a progression of higher places to launch from and Taiyra crawled to her bedroll sore and exhausted every night, but she was too filled with elation to complain. By the end of every day the task felt easier to complete and she was beginning to master the air. The short soaring lessons were helping her to work on both her landings and the subtle shifts of her wings and tail that would allow her to steer.

Finally came the day where she was expected to fly. Blackwing perched on the top of a short cliff. While Taiyra watched, the eagle hopped tilted downward like the usual glide, but about half way down she gave several flaps of her wings and instead went up into the air, flying a short distance before coming down to land.

Taiyra was expected to go next. She ruffled her feathers as she gathered up her courage, then hopped just as Blackwing had done. When she reached the half way point, she spread her wings and gave a flap, then two, but only managed to slow her decent. Another flap sent her forward. Taiyra gave out a short caw, then strained her muscles to flap as hard as she could just before reaching the ground, and finally managed to send herself into the air.

The excited cry of the young doe echoed across the plain, and she flew higher and higher, finding that she could relax a little as she found wind currents farther from the ground. Taiyra thought her heart would burst as she glanced down at the ground far below her. She was flying! It was no longer just a dream, she really was flying.

Blackwing soon appeared beside her, showing the inexperienced doe how to turn and glide. Together the two of them circled the air above the tarous camp for several minutes before heading back down to the ground and perching in the lower branches of a tree.

Taiyra let out a cry of triumph, and then a second, the piercing call of an eagle. Her third cry was cut short by the surprise swat of a large black wing that sent her tumbling to the ground.

The two following days were spent on learning how to launch into the air from the ground, easily the most difficult of all the lessons, in Taiyra's opinion, but soon even that was mastered and the young doe could finally both transform and fly with relative ease.

Taiyra was reluctant to end her training with the elder bull and large black eagle. She had enjoyed her time in their company, and told the elder so as they sat together drinking the medicinal tea.

"And we have enjoyed your company as well, young one." The elder replied with a soft chuckle. "You have been a wonderful pupil and I have no doubt that you will soon make us all proud as a druid."

"Thank you, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra said, smiling broadly. "I will certainly do my best."

"I know you will, Taiyra Sunmourn." The elder responded, using her full name for the first time. "And I think we need to celebrate your accomplishments so far. What do you say the three of us go flying together tomorrow?"

"That would be wonderful, Elder Swiftclaw!" The doe exclaimed. "Blackwing has been doing her best to teach me what she knows." She grinned slightly as she rubbed a bruise on the back of her head. "I think she went easy on me."

The elder laughed. "Her lessons can be harsh, but almost every druid here has gone through them and become better for it. Those that could not handle her methods went without her gift of flight." He took another sip of his tea and pulled his blankets tighter around himself. "So it is decided then. Tomorrow morning we shall meet here and go for a flight together, all three of us together."

"I look forward to it, Elder Swiftclaw." Taiyra replied, and the rest of their time together was spent in companionable silence.

When morning came, Taiyra eagerly rushed over to the elder's tent, surprised to find him slanding just outside of the closed flaps, waiting for her. He smiled as she approached and rose slowly to his feet, joints popping loudly with each movement. "Good morning,lotha degahr." He greeted her warmly. "Eager as always, I see."

"Of course, Elder Swiftclaw." She said cheerfully. "I always look forward to our lessons. This one is especially exciting."

The elder smiled broadly at the young doe, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder while leaning heavily on his walking staff for balance. "Taiyra, I try to treat all of my apprentices equally, but you have easily proven to be my favorite. Where misfortune and pain often smothers the light in a soul, it has only made yours shine brighter still. I hope you never lose that, no matter what should cross your path." The young doe did not know what to say, so she said nothing. "Now come, druid. Let us join our sister Blackwing, who already circles the sky above us."

Without waiting for her reply, the elder dropped his staff and changed seamlessly into the form of a large grey eagle, almost the size of Blackwing, and easily twice that of Taiyra's shifted form. He gave a piercing cry as he tilted his head to the sky, which was echoed by the circling Blackwing, then launched himself easily into the air.

Taiyra followed closely behind and the trio circled for several moments before turning away to glide high above the grassy plain. Taiyra watched the waving grass pass below, her sharp eyes able to spot the movements of small animals. When she let out her own excited cry, it was mirrored by the other two.

The wind blew through her feathers just like in her dream. The smell of the high air was crisp and clean. The sky was lightening into a nearly cloudless blue. Another cry. Another echoing response from the elder and Blackwing.

The open plains turned into a much darker green as they gave way to thick forest, which gave way to another plan before changing to the deep azure of an ocean. Another cry. Another reassuring response. Her flying companions moved to either side of the young doe, dipping their wings respectfully at her as they flanked her. In this formation they made their lazy way across the sky as they eventually circled around to head back to the encampment. Slowly the other two began to hang back, as if giving Taiyra the free reign to fly by herself, but they still echoed her cries to reassure her that they were there.

As the forest gave way to familiar plains once again, Taiyra gave an excited cry, but this time there was no echo. Concern suddenly darkened the doe's joy, and she cried again, but there was still no reply. Tilting her head to look back, she saw only open sky behind her. She turned around to look for her missing tutors, but only the first of the suns occupied the sky. When yet another cry was met with silence, Taiyra began to fly lower, concerned that the elder had fallen out of the sky and was unable to respond, despite Blackwing no doubt there to help him, but she could find no trace of either of them.

The second sun had risen high into the sky by the time Taiyra finally went back to the encampment, hoping to find the elder and Blackwing waiting safely inside the tent, but the closed flaps looked undisturbed. Still clinging to hope, Taiyra pulled apart the flaps and entered the tent.

Everything looked just as she remembered it from before except for a large wrapped bundle in the center of the floor, surrounded by candles. A note addressed to her lay atop the bundle, which she took outside to read.

Taiyra Sunmourn, as you have no doubt noticed by now, Blackwing and I did not return with you from your flight. You came home alone, and so shall it be from now on. We have taught you all that we can, and you must now face what fate comes without us. But I know that you are strong and able to handle anything that you should encounter if you face it with the same wisdom and unwavering tenacity you showed us.

Take what you wish of my possessions, they are yours now, to help you long your path as a true druid. To get you started I have left you a gift. May it help you remember all that you have learned.

And may your winds be ever gentle.

Elder Maidro Swiftclaw

With slow and dreamlike movements, Taiyra folded the note and stepped inside. For the second time she felt the loss of her teacher, but this time there was to be no reprieve. This time, he truly was gone.

'Come now, druid.' He had said to her before the flight, his voice now echoing in her memory, but she was not yet to be considered a druid. Unless...

She hurried to the large bundle and carried it outside, carefully removing the heavy blanket covering. As she saw the revealed items she gasped in surprise. An ornately carved staff was the first thing she noticed, the smooth wood stained a deep red and covered with delicate swirls and topped with the upper half of a leaping kerstaug. She recognized it immediately.

Although the elder's prime had passed long before she was born, Elder Swiftclaw had once been known as the antlered druid. The stories she had heard told mentioned four diagonal slashes across his chest from the swift claws of an ailing leopard that had been rescued from the humans, thus earning him his second name, but it was the form of a mighty kerstaug that he was most remembered for. And now he was giving her his prized staff from those days of ancient glory.

Taiyra picked up the staff and cradled it gently to her chest, only then noticing the rest of his gifts. A clay pot of white paint and a kordox-hair brush lay beside a medalion bearing the hoof within a paw within a wing symbol of the druid. She had earned her passage and become an official druid and could finally continue her training to become a healer.

She would be expected to paint her face white and eventually apply her chosen symbols. Smiling to herself, Taiyra gathered together her new possessions and carried them back inside the elder's tent. When next she emerged to face her tribe, she would be wearing her hard-earned medallion and her face would be the empty white of a druid in their final stages of training.