Chapter 5: Into the forest.

Act 1: Dawn. Pov: Ash

I stirred, as I felt the soft light of dawn touch my fur and closed eyes. I woke slowly, looking around to see our youngest already awake, accompanied by our new 'sister'. I think she's dangerous and must be driven off, but I trust Lazir's magic and the thing he did to her, "haaa. . ." I breathed out, after all I don't feel the same level of bloodlust as when we fought.

I stood from my sleeping sisters, still in their Beast-forms as Lazir had asked us to call it. As Lazir called his own form and the ones we used for fighting as our Human form. . .I still don't understand why he doesn't change his shape. Is he more comfortable in his human form?

"Come join us, already made some stew, went out earlier to get more of the water-tubers you girls showed me." It smelled as delicious as always the Fox. Vivi was already eating the meal, and she wasn't only eating the meat but also the cooked plants, is she really like us? Was she just cursed like how the elders warned us?

"Yes, the curse is real." Vivi spoke she seemed to have seen through my worries. Lazir smiled as he continued the conversion while Vivi continued to eat and drink the stew. "I've seen Vivi's memories, and it confirmed what your elders warned was true." Fear gripped my heart as Lazir continued. "I'm still not sure, but I think eating uncooked meat or drinking blood turns you into a predatory-beast." 

He paused and then looked at Vivi. "Do you feel like killing me again?" Lazir asked Vivi, who only smiled and playfully bit Lazir, which startled me but no blood was shed, and my nerves quickly calmed. "No I don't." Vivi said in that odd tone of her as she went back to eating. 

"Have you checked lazir?" I asked him as I looked at Vivi. I want to know if it's really true that everyone would become a monster if we ate meat without cooking it in Lazir's fire. "I don't know how to change back." Vivi said simply, so we aren't sure if cooked meat is fine while in beast form. . .I don't why we never tried, we've been eating cooked meat ever since the boar fight.

We should try, I thought as I felt myself turned into my real form, that of a rabbit taller than a sitting Lazir as he cooked our morning meal. "Are you sure?" He said seriously, his usual warm gentle smile gone. "I am, I trust you." I said to him, and he nodded, with a pointed twig he staked a piece of meat from the stew.

He was gentle as he placed the meat in my open mouth, oh mother-earth please let me not have bad breath. He left it there, and then I chewed and swallowed. . . and nothing, it tasted good, but I didn't feel like ripping Lazir apart and eating him. I changed back my skirt, on the ground. "Nothing. . .It was good. . .But nothing." Lazir smiled and then started laughing!

"Ha ha ha!" Amber and the other girls who I thought were sleeping were laughing. I felt embarrassed, why?! "Sorry Ash, but I tried it before with Amber, just wanted to see Ha ha ha!" Lazir said through laughter, I was mad and gave Lazir a slap. "Meanie!" I yelled as I covered my face and curled into a ball jerks!

It was just for fun, and after talking and hugs I forgave them, and Lazir was right we needed a little fun, I felt we became a little closer because of it. But I still do worry that if the curse was real and the only reason we have not succumbed to it was because of Lazir's fire then how many Cursed are there inside the forest?

Act 2: Antlers.

After our meal, we warmed up with exercise, after that we moved after repairing our weapons. "Are you sure Vivi? I can make you a spear and shield." I asked Vivi as we followed the river towards the forest visible in the distance. "I'm fine, I still have these to fight with." Vivi said as her arms turned more beast-like revealing paws with four sharpened claws, in each arm.

"Alright but when we have time, I should train you how to fight in your human form." I said to her and she nodded happily smiling as she retracted her beastly arms, and held my hand with her soft furred human-like hands as we walked.

Ash was leading us now with Spark at her side, as Tinder and Amber held the rear. "I hear something, grass being ripped." Spark said as we held still, and followed her as she slowly moved up a hill. I started hearing it too, grass being eaten and talking, it was faint but it was there.

When did my hearing get this good? "Look!" Spark whispered loudly down to us as we creeped to her side. I saw six giant deers, five doe and one elk, the elk with its branching pointed antlers, while the female had smaller ones, with only one branch.

They ate, as I heard them talk. "The grass has started to yellow." one of the doe's said her voice frustrated. "I prefer the taste, it has a nice crunch to it." The elk responded, his voice strong but old. "Old man." One of the other's said, making the Elk slap her with his tail.

"Do you guys understand them?" I asked the girls. "We can't, we only hear grunts." said Ash, as other girls nodded. Even Vivi nodded. "I can understand them, they're just talking about the grass." The girls were confused. "Should I try talking to them or do we ignore this?" I asked them.

"I vote to let them be, I know these antlered beasts." Vivi started as we observed the small herd. "I've hunted a few in the forest with my family, the ones with many spears, had driven our pack alone once." I heard caution and respect in Vivi's voice as she talked, I'm convinced.

"How about you girls?" I looked at Ash, Amber, Tinder and Spark. They seemed to be thoughtful. "Can we try asking them if they know of other Rabbits?" Spark said, saying what they were all thinking. "We can try but." I was thinking of a plan and then it came to me. "Amber, stay here you're the best when it comes to spear throwing."

I started as I told them I, and Ash in beast form would approach them, while the rest would wait here to prepare to throw spears and help us if they become violent. It took time convincing them, and the help of Ash before they were convinced that she would carry me back quickly if things go wrong.

I climbed up Ash, as I rode her as we went towards the deers they immediately noticed the Elk hiding the smaller doe behind him. "Hail, I bring only peace of the Earth-mother, as I only want an exchange of words and not of spears." I said as we stopped a handful of meters away from Elk, I can see him more clearly now.

His thick brown fur, graying in streaks upon his neck mane, his left eye bearing the healed scar of claws, with many other marks of battle in his sides and chest. "A hero of the Rabbit folks? What might you want from these old bones?" He said while taking our measure, his eyes were particularly interested in my spear and cloak.

"I asked if you know of any local Rabbit herds? Me and my sisters, had traveled here wanting to join them." I felt caution in him and curiosity in the other deers as I continued. "Our old herd, was destroyed by the Cursed beasts." I felt empathy in him and the others. "We are of the forest, and we do know some of the rabbit Herds. Who dwell within, promise to help protect my herd, as we travel and I will lead you and your sisters hiding in that hill, to the closest rabbit-herd we know." 

"You noticed us?" I said. "Ha ha ha! I may be old, young buck, but I'm still a proud warrior of the Deer folks." He said as I unmounted Ash and asked her to get the others. "Old Elk, why do you call me a hero of the rabbit folks?" I asked him. "Simple, you wear the pelt of a Boar-tusk, many know of the rabbit-clan's ability to change, and that they fight with 'weapons' not their own."

"The Boar-tusks are mighty, especially those cursed. . . their pelt turns dark red, rather than the normal browns that we share." I see he recognizes my might and assumes I'm a hero of the Rabbit folks, I nodded accepting his answer.

Act 3: Forest.

We moved quickly in the forest, as we rode the old elk and his family, even as the wind rushed through my cloak, their steps were quiet, and their scent covered by the smells of the forest. "Are you part of a bigger herd, old man?" I asked the elk I rode, as we jumped another root.

It was darker inside the forest than I imagined, as barely any light reached the forest floor. "No, my people do not make large herds, we usually only travel at most ten strong with atleast one male warrior." It said as I felt many eyes start to watch us, hearing distant words and whispers.

"The deers with you, are they your wives?" He was amused by my words. "Ha ha ha! It is kind for you to tell me I'm still fertile enough to have wives." He became quiet for a moment and then continued. "No, they are my daughters, I travel with them to find each a mate, as tradition dictates." He said, sounding much like the old warrior he is.

"Don't other male's look for their mate?" I asked confused. I've studied animal science and from what I know young Elks would actively look for their mates. "Ha! No, they would be too busy sharpening their skills." I don't know how but the old elk understood my confusion as we slowed down a little into a walk.

"A young buck would leave their mother's herd, once they grow the first branch of their antlers. And then would seek to make themselves strong, with other elks or alone. They would only stop their training if an elder much like myself, finds them and gives them a daughter, to become their first wife." He sounded proud as he told me a story of his people.

"Is that your traditional way for a herd of your people to be formed?" It is good to learn these things, as I'm sure it would make interacting with them again easier. "Yes, it is young hero." He said simply, but then he stopped and I felt it too. . . Bloodlust. "Old man, I count three. I can hold one off, my sisters another, can you kill the last and then help us?" 

I asked him as I looked beyond the brush, surrounded by three large cats, their fur browned, their eyes like the leaves of the forest. "Only three? Hmm. . .no we must run, they smell of the slow-cats." He said with his voice strong. "Agreed, let the girls go first we can stall them and run." "Agreed, Girls! Run forth! Will follow!" The Old elk screamed as his daughters bolted in formation. The cat left their hidden spots, but only met my arrows and the girls' spears.

Two were hit and slowed and one hesitant to chase. "Good!" The elk said as he ran, joining his daughters and my sisters. "You prove your strength young hero, we'll cross the river and lose them in the brush." and we did as he said as we rode deeper into the woods.