Chapter IV: Family

Before long, the distinct sound of an approaching animal filled my ears. Peering around the bag, Luna in wolf form reappeared at the entrance. Stopping for a moment, she scanned the den, no doubt looking for me. In that moment, as her purpose-built body was backlit by the morning sun and her fur blew in the wind, my mind was taken by how majestic she was.

All my sense of fear had been replaced; it was not even as if I was suppressing it; it had simply been erased. My nerves were rising; I was still frightened of what might come, but looking at Luna now, as I had once sought support from Emi and my wolf soft toy, Luna and her den elicited the same kind of support.

Watching Luna look around before she entered the den, I hopped out from behind the bag and presented myself to her. Seeing me, she approached. Rising to my hind legs, I waited for her.

Her paws and body were muddy, but her tail wagged excitedly behind her. She gave me a good sniff before nuzzling her nose against my body. Our size difference made it difficult for her to be precise, but she made up for it with a surprising gentleness. As we played together, Luna’s golden eyes softened as her tail wagged at an ever-increasing pace. However, in a moment of misjudgment, a little overexcitement, she brushed her head against mine with a little too much force, knocking me to the ground.

“Shit! I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to!” Luna cried, transforming back into human form immediately and kneeling at my side.

She wanted to hold me and comfort me, but even now, in her naked human form, her arms and legs were still covered in mud. Hesitating, not wanting to dirty my perfect fur, Luna stalled.

Moving back to my hind legs, I snickered to myself. Why is it so funny when she’s worried like this?

“I’m fine,” I squeaked. Knowing she did not understand me, I purred instead, and I started jumping around Luna in circles, only to leap into her lap and flop onto her thighs.

“Awwww, you’re so beautiful,” Luna remarked as she looked around at what I had been doing. “Did you get my blanket because you were feeling cold?”

I stayed still, pondering what to do. Getting up again, I glanced around while perched on Luna’s lap before leaping down onto her blanket, stretching out my limbs and lying on it as if it were my own.

“Do you like it?” Luna asked with a knowing smirk. “Well, if you’re comfy, I’m going to head back out; I need to get some food for myself, and I promised a farmer that I would look into a wolf problem for him.” Climbing to her feet to leave again, my heart dropped.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Bashing my paws against the blanket, I began to grunt in annoyance.

“I can’t take you with me; I’m going hunting,” Luna responded, her tone calm but remorseful, as she wore a conflicted smile.

Realising it was impossible, I went back to hiding behind the bag, whimpering to myself.

“Aaaah, no, please don’t be upset. I know. Tell you what, I’ll go hunting quickly, get myself some breakfast, then we can see the farmer together. How does that sound?” My sulking had been a success. Darting back out from the bag, I scampered over to Luna and began circling her again. “Phew!” She relieved. “Alright then, I’ll see you again in a few hours. You eat some food and get some sleep,” she ordered, pointing at the bag and blanket. Transforming Luna gave me one last sniff and light stroke with her face before leaving the cave again to sate her own appetite.

Alone again, I went back to my food only for a sudden thought to strike me as I wondered when we would see the farmer.

Neither of us have clothes. Munching on some hay, I began looking around the cave again, eyeing the different boxes and bags at the back. Transforming back into human form, still with a piece of hay sticking out of my mouth, I picked up and wrapped myself in Luna’s blanket, then walked over to the storage area.

Sifting through the boxes, I eventually came across one containing a few items of clothing.

She had all these, and yet didn’t give me any of them when I arrived. Pouting, I held up one of the dresses; it seemed a little big for me, but it was nothing some cutting, sewing and belts could not fix. It was, however, upon closer inspection when I noticed the reason Luna had not bothered to share these. They were in complete tatters, most beyond repair, unless you remade the whole garment. However, I did find a dress for myself and a pair of trousers and a shirt for Luna, with minimal cuts, and while looking at the shirt, I even found a dismal attempt at sewing. She tried at least. I thought, with a warm smile on my face, as I went in search of Luna’s apparent sewing supplies, hoping that she had not thrown them away in a huff.

After finding some thread and a needle in one of the bags, I carried them and the clothes back to the fire, now no more than embers. With my body still draped in Luna’s blanket, I started repairing the clothes. Starting with the trousers and shirt, as they required the least work, I was thankful for all the training my Mother had drilled into me when I was young.

“Slow down. Do you want me to guide your hands?” My Mother’s calm, firm voice offered.

“No! I can do it!” Defiant, I protested.

“Now we can sew the two pieces together. I can start on the tail if you want to do that.” She pointed, then watched me, ensuring that I held the needle correctly.

“Okay, Mother!” I cried.

“All done?” She asked, without pressing.

“Yeah! Can I have some feathers?” I beamed, seeing our creation take shape.

“I’ll hold the two sides together while you sew the final section. Make sure no feathers fall out.” She said with a soft excitement of her own.

“Are we done!?” I shouted, with a wide smile and sparkles in my hazel eyes.

“Well done, Phoenix!” She congratulated me, clapping her hands together. “Now what are you going to name him?”

“She’s not a ‘him’, Mother! She's a girl, like me.” I said with a slight mardy pout.

“Oh! That’s nice! And what’s this She-wolf’s name?” She said with surprise, before accepting with a vivid smile.

Those days are over now. As I sewed, memories flooded back; my eyes grew misty, and my heart ached for a past long gone, taken from me by my own nature and my family's inability to see me for who I was now. I was not angry; I did not think I had the right to be. Other people had survived much worse.

“Done!” I shouted with pride, casting aside my darkening mind, as I held up the dress to the close mid-morning light. I repaired all the holes and cuts, and I had to cut quite a sizable portion off the bottom so the dress’ hem would not fall below my feet; now it stopped at about mid-calf length. As a final touch, I added belt loops around the waist and threaded a long piece of the portion I had cut off through the loops to act as the belt.

Eyeing it for a moment longer, I pushed Luna’s blanket off my shoulders and quickly put on the dress.

As soon as I tied the cloth around my waist, I examined my body, satisfied. I spun on the spot a couple of times, the wind picking up as the dress flowed around me. It was a bit tight in places and loose in others, but it worked.

Somehow, I grew sad, noticing the compromises I was having to make to comfort each side of me. It was as though I still had to live a dual life, never able to reconcile my two halves. My personhood and my rabbithood are both me, yet both are separate.

“Having fun?” Luna’s confident tone called from behind.

“Ahh. Sorry, I went through your things without asking after realising we had nothing to wear, and after I got started, I couldn’t stop.” I apologised, looking at the ground, expecting her to be upset.

“Why are you apologising? You did a great job. Much better than I could.” Luna said, holding up the shirt and placing it against her body. “How does it look?” She asked, almost laughing at the thought of why she had even bothered, given how basic her outfit was.

“It looks great,” I remarked with haste, not wanting her to feel down. “I can make you something that looks a lot better if we can get the materials together,” I added.

“Oh, really. I don’t usually wear clothes, only when I have to. But if it were something you made, I don’t think I could resist.” She said, smirking playfully, before looking at me. “You look amazing, by the way.”

Picking up the dress' silhouette, I gave her a slow twirl, partly for her, but mostly to hide my blushing face. She complimented me!

“Are you ready to go to the farm then?” Luna asked after putting on her shirt and trousers.

Nodding, I skipped over to her, a ridiculous smile plastered on my face as I grabbed her hand.

As we walked out into the forest, a problem immediately presented itself underfoot.

Barefoot, I found myself staring at the ground and watching each step with uncomfortable care. But beside me, Luna marched on as if nothing was wrong.

She must have been out here so long that she had developed an immunity to such discomforts. I thought, with a light smile, wondering how long it might take me to reach that point. However, as I continued to watch, my eyes drifted down to Luna’s feet, where I found furry paws sticking out from the bottom of her trousers.

“Aaaaah!” I exclaimed, startling us both.

“What’s wrong?” Luna spun to look at me, her face covered with genuine worry.

“Y-your feet. How? What?” I questioned.

Are her feet permanently wolven? No. They can’t be! They were human before.

“Oh,” Luna said, sounding puzzled, as she lifted one of her paws to show me. “Do you not know how to do this?” She asked like it was normal.

Shaking my head, I examined her paw, toe beans and all, but when I looked up her trouser leg, there was a point where the fur ended, and her human features took hold. “Is that something we can do?” I asked, my surprise turning to perplexed curiosity.

“Yeah. Well, I don’t know if we all can, but we can transform select parts of our bodies,” Luna explained. “Did you never learn to do this?”

“No, I never got a chance. The only times I was able to transform were when I was away from my parents with a friend.” I shook my head again.

Luna’s face grew thoughtful. Looking at her, I waited for her to speak.

“I know!” She shouted at last, startling me back a few steps. Looking over at me, she darted to my side, then putting one arm around my back and the other under my knees. “It’ll take too long to teach you now. So I’ll just have to carry you.” She claimed as she lifted me into a princess carry.

I was already in Luna’s arms and in the air before any sound of protest could pass my lips. Walking on, we shared a look, and she gave me a confident, cheeky grin, proud of herself. My cheeks flushed, and in my panic, I covered my face with my hands. As Luna picked up her pace, my body bounced in her arms, and the wind swirled around me.

Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped my arms around Luna to make my position more secure and pressed my face against her shoulder as I calmed down. “You don’t have to carry me the whole way. Would that not be too far even for you?” I asked, not wanting to be a burden but, deep down, hoping this would not have to end.

“Nah, don’t worry. It’s not too far. And besides, you’re very light.” Luna finished by teasing in my ear.

Giggling to myself, I held on even tighter, wanting to savour this feeling, this warmth.

With Luna holding me, it gave me a chance to look around the forest with fresh, unfearful eyes. We were walking down a foot-trodden path that had been carved through the foliage and fauna. I wondered if it was a cut-through used by hunters, or if over time Luna had been able to carve it herself through frequent use. Above me, the trees swayed and jostled for space as the wind pulled them one way and another. Sunlight filtered green through the leaves. The day was clear but bitterly cold; part of me wished we were travelling in our animal forms, but I knew that would not be wise.

Looking back up at Luna, my heart beat a little faster; her worn, scared face still had an air of softness and purity to it that only served to charm me further. She seemed tense, like she did not know what to do with herself. Briefly, her eyes darted down to me before darting away when she noticed my staring; her cheeks grew pink.

“What are you looking at?” Luna asked.

“You,” I replied with a bluntness that surprised even me. Cupping my mouth for a moment, Luna’s cheeks grew redder.

For all her confidence and predatory nature. She really is a softie at heart. With that thought, a giggle escaped from my lips, prompting a sharp, suspicious look from Luna.

“I’m not laughing at you. I promise,” I defended.

“I’m not so sure about that.” Luna let out a laugh of her own, seeing right through me.

Smiling up at her, I wondered if now was the time to ask questions. “Luna? How long have you been out here?” Looking at me for a moment, her gaze grew weary but thoughtful, pondering how best to respond, what to say and what not.

“Coming up on three years,” she said at last. “I’ve jumped around a couple of places, but I’ve been living in this forest for the past six months.” She stopped and thought again, looking at me once more, like she was judging me somehow. “Before then, I lived in my village with my family, but that is not a place I wish to visit again.” She finished, her voice growing distant and strained as she spoke.

Realising I had touched a nerve, I began to panic. “Aah! We don’t have to go to the farm if you don’t want to!” I blurted out, my brain latching onto an idea that Luna may hate people.

“Hahaha,” Luna cackled with borderline glee. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I may not enjoy this or fully trust people, but needs must, and to be honest, some of the people I have met on my travels have more than surprised me. In fact, there is a girl who lives at this farm, maybe a little older than me, who seemed very kind and interested in me, though we only spoke for a moment.” She paused again. “How old are you, by the way?” She asked, looking at me and trying to guess for herself.

“I-I’m nineteen,” I replied, stumbling over my words, having not expected the question.

“I thought you might be around there. So I am older then?” Luna said, her mind wandering further. “When did you start transitioning then?” She followed up.

“About four years ago. I’ve been largely cooped up at home ever since,” I explained, thinking back on the night I ran away and everything that had happened to me up to now.

“So you were about fifteen then. That makes sense; I was around that age when it happened to me, too. I’m twenty-one, by the way,” She said before looking ahead, her golden eyes growing bright with distraction. “Ah! Here we are,” Luna exclaimed, stopping and lowering me to the ground. I stepped out of her arms.

Looking up, the sun was at its highest in the sky. Luna had stopped at the edge of some trees, and beyond was the entrance to the farm.

“It looks awfully quiet,” I remarked, expecting such a place to be busier at this time of day.

“I was here yesterday to get you your food, and the farmer said that he and his Daughter were to be going to a nearby village today to trade; that might be why. That, and as I understand it, this farm mostly produces crops,” Luna explained.

“What do they want you to do then? If they only have crops.”

“They don’t only. They also have some goats and cows to produce milk.”

“Ahhhh, I see.”

Walking on, Luna transformed her feet back into those of a human before we reached a small gate leading to the farmhouse.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Luna announced our arrival. Both our ears pricked up as we listened for signs of life inside.

“I can hear someone coming,” I whispered. I was becoming nervous.

I’m about to see a human! The realisation of what was going on suddenly hit me as I shifted behind Luna, grabbing her hand and arm. Watching the door, Luna waited—her confident calm soothing me.

“Who is it?” A woman’s voice inquired as the door creaked open.

“Hi, it's Luna. I’ve come to talk about the offer your husband mentioned yesterday. Oh! And please don’t be alarmed, but I’ve brought a friend with me this time.” Luna explained, her voice becoming formal and practised.

“Oh, it’s you. Well, my husband should be back soon, so you can just wait outside.” The woman replied courtly, before closing the door again, not having even opened it enough for us to see her face.

“Can we not come in, out of the cold?” Luna protested, her tone staying polite.

“Absolutely not. If you must stay anywhere, you can go round to the animal pens at the back; I’ll tell Geoff you’re here when he gets back.” She finished, leaving us with no choice but to wait outside.

Turning around, we walked back to the main entrance. “Where do you want to go? Wait on the road or with the animals?”

“On the road,” I said quickly, pulling myself closer to Luna for warmth. Smiling back, Luna patted my head as I looked back at the farmhouse in anger. “We aren’t animals,” I protested under my breath.

“To them, that’s exactly what we are. But to be fair to them, the feeling is mutual. I wish I didn’t have to deal with them either, but needs must and all.” Luna said, her voice resigned.

“Why can’t we just get along?” My voice was low as I sat down against one of the perimeter walls. “We’re people too. We didn’t choose these bodies.”

“I know,” Luna tried to reassure me as she sat beside me. “But this is just how it is. We’re different, so we must lead different lives. They define us by our differences and our nature.” As Luna spoke, her voice grew cold; her words were those of understanding and of knowing one's place, but her tone was far from either; within it, a deep pain, one like a void that I dared not look too deep for fear of falling in.

Sitting close, we stayed there for about an hour before we both lifted our heads. At the sound of horse hooves.

“Did you hear that?” Luna asked, getting somewhat excited.

“Yeah, it’s close.”

Watching the path we had walked down to get to the farm, we waited and listened as the sounds drew closer. Horses, a heavy wagon, and two people. Until exactly that came round the corner, approaching the farm.

Getting up, the farmer raised an arm and waved at us as they got closer.

“Phew,” Luna let out a sigh of relief. “Finally,” Luna joked, turning to look at me. “Raven?” She asked with concern.

I was stock-still, staring at the farmer; on occasion, my eyes darted around the wagon, looking for a girl, a couple of years older than Luna, with long dark auburn hair tied up in a ponytail, before falling back on him. “I recognise him,” I said, my voice low with disbelief.

“What!?” Luna shouted, looking at me with deeper concern. “If we need to leave, we can do,” She added, with slight panic.

But I shook my head, a smile appearing on my face as my eyes landed on what I had been looking for, or rather, who.

Stepping into the path, I stood before the farmer’s daughter. Luna ran to my side, still panicked.

“What are you doing?” She asked, grabbing my arm.

But my eyes were locked forward, and so were the daughter’s.

“Raven?” Her voice was frail, and her face was red like she had been crying, but as she stared at me, her expression morphed into a look as if she were looking upon the dead.

“Emi,” I replied.

We paused. Luna held my hand, still unsure what was going on, but now understanding that her panic was unwarranted. Tears formed in Emi’s eyes, as they were in my own. Breaking out into a sprint toward me, Emi wrapped her arms around me as soon as she got close.

“They said you were dead.” She cried. “They said you had gone out into the forest and been eaten by a wolf.”

Wrapping my own arms around Emi in a mutual embrace, I felt Luna’s hand release, but she still held herself close, as if watching over me.

“You don’t need to worry; a wolf didn’t eat me.” Stepping away, I held both of Emi’s hands before me, tears trickling down both our faces. “This is Luna,” I said, holding one hand up to present her to Emi. “She’s the wolf they saw.”

Stepping close behind me, Luna towered over me like a bodyguard, watching Emi.

Looking up at Luna, Emi wiped her tears before smiling. “I must thank you then, Luna,” She started, her voice happy but with veiled intent. “I wanted to speak to you yesterday about a girl I knew in a nearby village who was like you. I wanted to ask you if you could visit her, but I guess you found each other without my help.” Emi explained with a smile, but as she spoke, her tears flowed again. “I was going to tell you about Luna when I saw you today, Raven. B-but when I got to the village and went to your house, I found it empty. That’s when one of the villagers told me that if I was looking for y-you, I should go to the cemetery. There I found your parents b-burying you.” Her voice grew hoarse and tearful the longer she spoke, prompting me to return to holding her as she finished.

“Are you saying they’ve already given up on her?” Luna growled from behind.

“W-what do you m-mean, already? When d-did you run away?” Emi said in sorrowful confusion.

“Two nights ago,” Luna responded with flat anger.

In my ear, there was a small gasp from Emi as she tightened her grip around me. Am I dead? I had assumed this might happen the longer I stayed away. I was assuming that, since they believed it was a wolf that had stolen me away, they might hunt Luna down instead, but no. They gave up on me immediately.

“People are all the same.” Luna spat behind me before moving in close. “Are you okay?” She asked with calm sympathy.

Nodding into Emi’s shoulder, I let go of her before searching for Luna’s hand. Stepping away from each other, I held Luna close as Emi stared in sadness. “I-it’s okay. I wasn’t planning on going back anyway.” Stumbling at first, I found my footing, but with each word, I wondered how true they were. “I have Luna now. And I have you as well, Emi. Knowing you’re close by will make everything easier.”

Wiping her eyes again, Emi smiled impishly, looking from me to Luna and back to me. “You don’t need to worry; I’ll be here whenever you need me. Although if you come too often, I’d worry about making your girlfriend jealous.” She said, laughing away her tears.

“GIRLFRIEND!” I shouted, looking at Luna and then down at our held hands, quickly letting go and putting a short distance between us. “I’ve barely known her a day!”

“That’s fine. Have you never heard of love at first sight?” She teased. Before glancing at Luna with a smirk

Following Emi’s eyes, I found Luna looking down at me, closing in to my ear before she whispered, only loud enough for both me and Emi to hear. “We have already seen each other naked, remember?” She goaded, with a smirk of her own, though I still noted a slight pink of embarrassment in her cheeks.

“Don’t tell her that!” I exclaimed loudly, looking at Luna in a panic, my heart racing. “That’ll only make her worse!” I added as my eyes moved over to Emi in the hope that she had not heard what Luna had said.

“So, you don’t deny that it happened?” Emi questioned, to my horror. “How did it make you feel? Come on, tell me,” She insisted with both a mocking joy and genuine intrigue.

“Now look what you’ve done.” I glanced back at Luna, chastising her. But even as I spoke with bright red cheeks and a pounding heart, my eyes followed my heart, looking Luna up and down, remembering how we met, how she cared for me, how she saved me, how even in this past day and that night, she had completely invaded my mind.

Shit. Do I love her? I finally questioned myself, but even as I asked, a final line of denial presented itself.

“B-but we’re both girls,” I said at last, with a weakness as if I were pleading for someone to contradict me.

“You’re both Beastkin too; you’re already taboos for that reason; why stop at just one?” Emi posited with a bright, devilish smile. “I, for one, support you both. And I’ll make sure both my Mum and Dad do, too. Isn’t that right, Dad?” She finished with a shout over the wagon; mine and Luna’s faces grew even redder as we unacknowledged the presence of Geoff, Emi’s Father.

“I don’t care, as long as you keep my livestock safe, Luna; what you do with your life is of no concern of mine,” Geoff said, his voice gruff but true.

“See…” Emi began but was cut off by Geoff.

“That said. Raven.”

“U-um, yeah?” I glanced at Emi first before addressing her Father.

“No eating my crops. Got it.” He warned, but even as he spoke, he wore a warm smile.

“Of course, Geoff! I wouldn’t dream of it,” I responded as if I were jumping to attention. I was grateful but still panicked, hoping Emi would not press further and might show some mercy. But alas, I may have been hoping for too much.

“What about you, Luna?” Emi asked, smiling with genuine happiness as she looked back over to us.

“What about me?” Luna asked, feigning ignorance, which bought her an annoyed pout from me, as I begged her not to take the bait.

“How do you feel about girls liking girls? From your reactions, I would guess you’re already aware that you like Raven,” Emi asked and probed all at once, prompting my pout to involuntarily morph into a face of searching interest as I awaited Luna’s response.

“I like girls,” Luna replied without so much as a pause. “Before I left my village, there was a girl that I liked there. At first, I was kind of like you are now, Raven. It took me a long time to figure everything out, but eventually I accepted that I just didn’t see boys in the same way.” Luna’s voice grew distant; seeing that she was struggling, I instinctively held her arm and hand, bringing myself closer to her body. Bringing her hand up to stroke my hair, Luna continued. “So, I told her that I liked her.” Luna went silent again.

“What did she say?” Emi asked, her voice softening, becoming more sympathetic.

“She said no.” A small smile appeared on Luna’s lips before it disappeared, and she moved her hand behind my back, bringing me even closer. “She said that she wanted to stay friends. But that night, I started to change. And she never spoke or saw me the same way again.” She finished, her face long and mournful of the past. Looking up at her, I tried to figure out what to do, but as I thought, Luna's eyes moved to me. As she looked, her face grew warm and a smile reformed.

“Are you okay?” I asked at last. Why did I ask such a stupid question? Of course she isn’t. I thought, berating myself.

“I am now,” She responded, her smile warming as she lifted her free hand to my cheek, holding it and stroking my cheekbone with her thumb.

My mind went blank as I began to lean into Luna’s body, turning my head into her hand. But we were interrupted.

“Alright! That’s enough flirting from you two.” Emi suddenly shouted. We both looked over with a start and flushed, but Emi smiled, looking at us with a proud expression. “I’m sure you came here to talk to my Dad about a job, Luna, so why don’t you go do that, and I’ll steal Raven for a bit.” She said, walking towards us and grabbing my hand.

Holding me closer, Luna did not let me go for a second. Looking at Emi with a brief, jealousy-fueled suspicion.

“Don’t worry, I’m only borrowing her. I’ll give her back afterwards.” Emi reassured with a smirk, clearly enjoying that she had a new subject for her torment.

Letting me go, Luna allowed Emi to drag me off towards the farmhouse. Looking back with a little distress, Luna wore a similar expression, but even so, she still smiled and waved me on, encouraging a smile and warmth to light within me.

I wish I could stay with Luna. I thought before turning back to watch where Emi was taking me. But at least I’m with Emi. Smiling evermore for the first time in a long time, my heart felt truly safe.

However, as we stepped closer to the front door of Emi’s house, I remembered how coldly the woman had greeted us and turned us away before, whom, having not seen her face before, I now knew to be Emi’s mother, Hilda. “Emi! Wait!” I called with meek desperation, unable to stop Emi from making a potential mistake, despite my fear.

“Hi Mum! We’re back! And look who I found hanging around outside. It’s Raven!” Emi announced with pride as she entered the house.

“Welcome back, dear. But isn’t she with that she-wolf? I’m sorry, but I can’t allow either of them in the house.” Hilda said in a stern but soft tone.

“Why not? They’re my friends. And you know Raven well anyway; she’s not going to do anything.” Emi met her mother’s tone with calm logic, while I retreated behind Emi, still holding her hand.

“Because…” Hilda started with a sigh, wavering slightly. “Because they are Beastkin, I’ve warned you before about the reports of their kind from the capital. I only let you continue to play with Raven because she’s a rabbit and her parents were doing the right thing by ensuring she wouldn’t endanger herself or others by stopping her from transforming. But her friend out there is a wolf. Not only is she dangerous, but just think of all the things she is telling Raven.” Hilda paused; her tone was not one of anger or hate; instead, it was more one of disappointment, with an attempt at understanding. “From what I have been able to work out, it’s clear Raven has run away. She needs to go home; her parents are probably worried sick right now. I’ll ask your Father to take her home later.”

At the mention of my being sent home, my body tensed, gripping Emi’s hand tighter and grabbing her forearm. I wished that Luna had heard all that from outside and would come and save me. Closing my eyes, I waited for another miracle. But no miracle came, only Emi’s words.

“Her parents have already buried Raven. They’ve already given up on her survival. Maybe they were briefly worried, but I don't doubt they now think it's over. They can now live on, sad that they lost their fifteen-year-old child, believing that a rabbit killed her.” Pausing, Emi swallowed her anger, trying to stay level-headed. “All the time I was in that village, I heard them mourn this girl called Phoenix, saying a wolf had killed her, that it was inevitable, that it was only a matter of time; not once did anyone question that idea; they’re all living a lie. And despite their wishes, she’s right here, alive and well.” As she finished, she took a deep breath, awaiting her Mother’s response.

There was a long pause as Emi’s words hung in the air. Sighing again, Hilda spoke. “Raven. Tell me what happened. And how you ended up all the way out here.” Confused, I looked at Emi, who smiled at me, brought me forward, and pulled out a chair from the dining table, prompting me to sit. She then sat beside me as Hilda sat before me.

“I want to hear this too. But please take your time. Let me get you some water.” Emi said with tempered excitement as she noted my growing anxiety.

And so I told them exactly what happened, why I ran away, and how I met Luna.

* * *

Meanwhile

Luna’s Perspective

After watching Emi steal Raven away, I would have to put up with her being away for a while. To distract myself, I walked over to Geoff, looking into his wagon as I did.

“Would you like me to help carry any of this cargo?” I asked, noting multiple bags filled with traded goods and some other loose items. Mostly meat and pelts from the hunters and textiles from the village.

“If you wouldn’t mind. That would be grand.” Geoff replied, picking up one of the bags and handing it to me.

“Where do you want them?”

“Take that one just to the front door. Then help me take these around back.” He said, gesturing to the rest of the bags and items.

“Okay,” I acknowledged before carrying the bag with ease towards the house.

As I got closer, I sensed something might be wrong, and as I got closer still, voices seeped through the thick wooden log walls.

“All the time I was in that village, I heard them mourn this girl called Phoenix, saying a wolf had killed her, that it was inevitable, that it was only a matter of time; not once did anyone question that idea; they’re all living a lie.” It was Emi’s voice; she was barely holding back her anger, and I could sense Raven’s fear. Placing the bag on the ground, I moved my hand towards the door, almost compelled to steal Raven away again. But as I was about to open the door, Emi’s mother relented and then asked how Raven ended up out here.

Sighing with relief, I turned to walk away, but still kept an ear fixed on the house.

“Have you quite finished with your eavesdropping?” Geoff remarked, making his annoyance clear.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to; I just heard raised voices and got worried,” I explained.

“She’ll be fine. Emi will get Hilda to listen even if she doesn’t want to. They are both just as stubborn as each other. You learn just to say ‘Yes’ quite quickly.” Geoff joked with a resigned but content laugh as he handed me the next bag, this time walking with me, carrying a bag of his own.

Walking past the house, I tried to listen again, wondering how Raven might explain our meeting. But as I did, I recalled how forcefully I had come on to her, becoming mortified that Emi and her mother might think me some kind of pervert or assaulter. I started to panic, knowing I had lost control of myself at the time; I only wished Raven had realised that as well.

“So, how did you come across Raven then?” Geoff asked, interrupting me. “I know she ran into the forest, and Richard, her Father, saw her in rabbit form in the jaws of a wolf. I’m assuming that was you?” He probed with intrigue.

Thinking back, I started to smile. “I was out hunting when the scent of a rabbit filled the entire forest. Following it, I eventually found Raven cowering at the base of an oak tree.” My smile never faded as I recounted that night. “Staring at Raven through the bushes, I realised the smell of rabbit was coming from her, which was when I also noticed her hair and her eyes.” As I spoke, I pointed at my own golden eyes, before pausing, swallowing my grateful shock with a distant smile. “Realising we were both Beastkin, I introduced myself, shortly before the people from her village found us.” My smile finally faded as I thought about the omitted details, ashamed but thankful that Raven still put her trust in me.

“Hmm,” Geoff sounded, thoughtfully as he turned from me to the house.

“Ah! Raven gave her permission for me to take her away if you were worried.” I added quickly.

“Hahaha! You don’t need to worry about that; I had my doubts Raven would have just allowed herself to get caught like that.” He assured. “To be honest, I was also considering that Richard had simply been mistaken and the rabbit he saw wasn’t Raven at all.”

Dropping the bags around the back of the house, we walked there and back again a few more times, saying things now and then, but with my quicker pace, we only crossed each other briefly. Having unloaded the wagon, we stood beside it, resting for a moment.

“Got something on your mind?” Geoff asked, breaking the silence. “You’ve been staring holes in the side of my home since we finished.”

“I’ve just been wondering why the people in the village call her Phoenix. All Raven told me was that was just what they call her.” I said, explaining myself, but not expecting an answer.

“Phoenix is Raven’s birth name,” Geoff said, with deliberate flatness. “As Raven changed more, according to Emi, she started to dislike her name, so Emi suggested finding a new one.” Geoff chuckled to himself before continuing. “Emi basically forced her Mother and me to call her Raven. That said, I’m happy she did, because from that day I did see Raven smile a little more.” He finished, his mind lamenting.

“You seem much more on Raven’s side than I would have expected. And more than your wife sounded as well.” I said, not questioning, but fishing for an answer all the same.

“I wasn’t to begin with. She had always been such a happy child, but when the changes started, that ended. People blamed that on the changes. But as I kept watching Emi spend time with her and listened to how she talked about her and embraced her changes, each time I saw Raven again, I saw those smiles returning. It became clear to me that her happiness hadn’t left; instead, it was being confined alongside her as people tried to ‘protect’ her.” Geoff took his time and chose his words carefully. It was clear this was something he had been contending with for a while.

That was the first time I had experienced a human watch, listen, and take the time to try to understand our situation, but my guard stayed up, and my disdain remained. “Why didn’t you do anything to help her?”

Hearing my anger, Geoff took his time again. “What could I have done? We live on a farm hours away and only visit every so often. Are you wishing that I had taken her away? The most I could do was bring Emi along with me whenever we visited and ensure that they had some time alone.” He was right; even if his inability to do anything let the situation worsen, I was thankful it did not sound as though Raven’s village was as bad as mine. “Look. I can tell you don’t like people. I’m not going to ask why. At this point, as much as I think Raven should return to her village to clear things up, I am still glad she is safe and is with someone of her own kind, for lack of a better term.”

“She will not be returning to that place. I won’t allow it.” I replied quickly, allowing my fear to get the better of me.

“As much as I respect your instincts, that simply isn’t up to you.” Geoff calmly rebutted. “Raven trusts you; she likes you. Don’t throw that away. Don’t take her for granted.” He added with a stern stare.

Thinking on his words, I stared back at the farmhouse. My thoughts filled with Raven’s smiling face. The last thing I wanted was to lose that. I wanted to ensure that she would never feel pain of any kind ever again.

“Anyway, about the fox problem we’ve been having,” Geoff changed tack deftly.

“We agreed to three nights, correct?”

“Yeah, although I imagine you have your hands full at the moment.” Geoff empathised, glancing at the farmhouse.

“I think I should be fine in a few days; give me until the end of the week, I’ll even throw in hunting the foxes, instead of just watching over your animals.” I negotiated, all the time thinking of Raven.

“That would be perfect. Thanks.” Geoff smiled, holding out his hand to me.

* * *

As I finished the story, I found Emi holding my hands. I did not know when she grabbed them, but her warmth kept my tremors in check, and that was what allowed me to continue.

Looking up, I found Hilda looking at me; her face seemed devoid of emotion, causing me to fear how she had taken what I had told her, and whether she even believed me to begin with.

Through a long sigh, Hilda’s expression softened before she looked back at me with a smile. “It’s okay, you can calm down. I’m not going to send you home. That said, before long I do think that you need to go back, once you’ve settled and figured yourself out.” Her tone was calm but grave, and while I understood what she was saying was true and what I should do, I could not bring myself to accept it. “And I don’t think you should be living in the forest with that… Girl, either. You can stay with us instead; you’d love that, wouldn’t you, Emi?” Hilda added, as she glanced out of the window at Luna and then towards Emi.

My whole body froze again at the mere thought of being separated from Luna. Turning to look out the window myself, I hoped to see Luna out there looking at me, for her to see my distress and come to save me. But instead, it was Emi who stood by me once again.

“Not happening. If you do that, then Luna is staying here too, and they will both be staying in my room.” Emi was not so much negotiating as demanding.

“You know I won’t allow that,” Her Mother sighed.

“Good! Then Raven can continue to stay with Luna.” Emi said with pride, as if the matter was over and done with.

“Ah! Emi! I didn’t…” Hilda tried, but Emi refused to listen.

“Although. You should come and stay over from time to time. Just for fun or whenever you and Luna fight, we’ll be right here to let you vent. Won’t we, Mum?” Her final words came with a pointed edge to them, a skill she had gotten from her Mother.

“EMI!” Hilda again tried to call, but Emi was now already holding my hand and walking me to the front door.

“Time to take you back to your princess charming.” She declared, prompting a giggle to break free from all my anxiety.

However, as we broke towards the front door, Hilda called again, this time to me. “Raven.” She was much quieter and gentler than before, but this time an authority rang through my body like a hammer to a bell. Stopping, but still holding Emi’s hand, I turned to face Hilda.

“Yes?” I asked rather timidly, wishing for the conversation to end, but feeling as though whatever was about to be said was something that I needed to hear.

“I know how you're feeling right now; your emotions are high, you're angry, you're sad, you feel betrayed. Parts of you likely never want to see your Mother or Father again. But when you think about your parents, how do you feel?” Looking at me through stern, sympathetic eyes, Hilda watched me intently.

Looking around at Emi briefly, I turned back, shifting on my feet and staring at the floor, formulating an answer. “Ummm. I-I don’t know, I feel nothing.” I said at last, and to my answer Hilda sighed, both out of seeming exasperation and relief.

“Right now you may feel nothing; you may see them as strangers almost. But also right now you have the privilege of choice. I’ve been in your position before. So, I want to ask you. If that privilege is ripped away from you, how will you feel then?”

“I-I don’t know w-what you mean,” I responded weakly.

“How will you feel if you can no longer explain yourself, if you can no longer show them who you are, what you’ve become, show them you’re happy, that you’re safe. How will you feel if the opportunity to say ‘goodbye’ is ripped away from you?” She finished, her voice filling the room with a dreadful, calming warmth of warning and understanding.

“I-I… I…” I started.

“You don’t need to answer me.” Hilda cut me off. “I only ask you to think.”

As the air settled, Emi pulled on my arm again, this time much slower and uncertain.

Stepping out of the house, Emi held my hand as we walked back towards Luna and Geoff, who had unpacked the wagon and taken it and the horses back to their stables. Beside Luna sat a large sack filled with items.

“What’s in the bag, Luna?” Emi called as we got close.

“Oh, just some of your old blankets and clothes. Oh! And Raven, here, try these on,” Luna said, sounding pleased with herself. From the bag, she pulled out some leather boots that had seen a lot of wear and tear but still seemed more than adequate.

“Hey! Aren’t those mine, Dad?” Emi complained sarcastically, pouting and folding her arms as I walked over to Luna.

Kneeling, Luna held the right boot up to me, pausing. I did not know what to do for a moment before tentatively raising my right foot towards Luna, suddenly very aware of Emi and Geoff watching on around us.

Cupping my heel in her hand, Luna put my foot into the boot with slow care. After tying the laces, she let go, allowing me to lower my foot to the ground.

“How is it?”

“A little big, but I think they’ll be fine,” I replied as I moved my foot around and got a good look at the boots. They were made of black leather and had a slight heel; they looked very nice. I could see why Emi was upset to see them go. Giggling to myself, I lifted my other foot as Luna held up the other boot.

“Are you two lovebirds quite finished?” Emi said with an audible smile, as Luna finished tying the laces of the left boot.

“Yes, sorry. You are okay with me taking these, right?” I asked, blushing as I turned away from Luna, who I caught smirking at my embarrassment.

“Shall we get off then?” Luna said as she rose back to her feet, picking up the sack as she did.

“Ah! Wait. Did you get any leather?” I asked, looking at Luna.

“No. Do we need any?”

“I have some to spare if you need some,” Geoff interjected.

“Please, just a pelt's worth should be fine. Although I’m not sure how to pay you, I know leather is expensive.” I said, playing with my hands, not expecting my request to be answered.

“For you, it's free. Just whatever you do, don’t go dying again. I never want to see my Emi in that state again,” Geoff replied, his tone almost joking, but wrapped in a warm sympathy.

As Geoff walked away to get the leather, I glanced over at Emi to find her looking away from me, bashfully hiding her face. Being pushed lightly from behind, I looked back. “Go give her a hug,” Luna pressed with a smile.

With Luna’s blessing, I skipped to Emi and wrapped my arms around her. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise for anything; it was all your parents' fault.” Emi denied it but hugged me back anyway. “Promise me, you won’t disappear again.”

“Of course I won’t. I imagine Luna, and I will be back here quite often, and I’m sure I could convince Luna to let you visit us every so often.” Pausing, a thought appeared in my head along with an excited smile. “Hey, Emi. Sit down for a second.” I requested, taking a step or two away from her.

“O-okay?” While confused, Emi sat down all the same, looking up at me with perplexed but patient eyes.

Smiling, I transformed into my rabbit form, losing myself in the heap of my dress and new boots on the floor. Fishing around, Emi moved my dress aside to uncover my small form, looking up at her.

With a smiling tear in her eye, Emi picked me up and placed me in her lap, stroking me to her heart's content. In my periphery, Luna was picking up the dress and the shoes, and placing them in the sack, all with a conflicted smile. I would have to make this up to her later.

“Here’s the leather,” Geoff called as he got close. “Where’s Emi and Raven?” He asked.

“Raven is apologising to Emi,” Luna remarked with a hint of jealousy.

“Come on, Raven. It’s time to go home now.” Luna said, crouching to my level.

Lifting her hands from me, I nuzzled my face against Emi one last time before hopping from her lap and towards the waiting arms of Luna.

“Is she going to be okay going home like that?” Emi asked with genuine concern.

“Yeah, I’ll just carry her,” Luna said, cradling me in her arms as she stood back up.

“Won’t other wolves be able to smell her?” Emi continued, her worry growing.

“They will.” Luna started. “But they’ll smell me as well,” And finished with a confident smirk.

“Well, at least let me do this,” Emi insisted as she reached into our sack, pulling out one of the blankets. “Dad, can you hold Raven for a second?”

Expecting to be going home, I had closed my eyes to go to sleep, but at the notion of leaving Luna’s arms, my eyes shot open, and I started to grind my teeth together.

“Oh, she is not happy about that.” Luna joked, looking from Emi to Geoff.

“Calm down, it’ll only be for a second,” Emi assured as Geoff closed in. Giving in, I let Geoff pick me up, but my grinding never ceased.

Emi tied the blanket across Luna’s body, creating a cosy pouch around Luna’s chest for me to sit in. My grinding stopped as I realised what Emi had done, and instead I started stomping against Geoff’s arm.

“She’s hitting me with her paws. I think she wants to be let down,” Geoff said with a flat calm.

“It’s fine; she’s just getting impatient. Here, pass her to me; Emi’s done now.” Approaching Geoff, Luna stared down at me with a playful, dominant smile. “Come here, you feisty bunny. Why are you attacking this nice man?” She cooed as she picked me up and placed me in the warm woollen pouch.

Poking my head out of the pouch, I found Emi staring at me. She was at about eye level with me; reaching out, she gave me a few more strokes. “I’ll see you soon, Raven.” She smiled before stepping away again.

Moving around, I made myself comfortable before closing my eyes to have a nice early afternoon nap. The last thing I heard was Luna’s exasperated but still radiant tone. “What am I ever going to do with you?”