Rem listened to the sound of horse hooves on dirt, wondering what it would be like to travel these roads as a shifter, to have paws that dug into the Earth.
“Can I ask another question, Nia?”
“Of course.”
“How do your clothes transform along with your fur and skin?” Rem gripped the leather reins when the horse trotted too fast. She petted its fur, feeling the hard muscles underneath. Lothar trailed behind them as a pale gray wolf the size of a small horse, keeping pace with Rem.
"Anything we wear that is not blessed will rip."
"What does that mean, though? How are they blessed?"
"An Elder can bless our clothing so when we transform, it molds with our skin. Otherwise, we waste a lot of clothing. Which can be a pain as we get cold in the winter."
"Well, that's convenient."
"In our past, I imagine we got tired of nice clothes being destroyed."
“So, does it hurt to transform? Like do the clothes hurt to disappear? I just can’t quite picture it.”
“We can’t feel the clothes during a transformation—sort of like making your hair grow on demand, I imagine. The transformation itself is painful at first, but you get used to it. Bones don’t really break, but it’s going back into a human state where some joints can hurt from how they shrink.”
“Hmm, interesting…” A smile formed on her face. “Okay, I’ll admit something… did you know that I always pictured shifters running around naked all the time?”
Nia chuckled and threw Rem an ‘oh, please’ look. “You and all the other humans. We are more sophisticated thanthat. Besides, being a wolf for too long is a sure way to lose your humanity, so it’s not recommended. Which, without clothes, is your only real option for warmth in the winters.”
“Wait, are you serious? You can lose your humanity?”
“Yes,” Nia said, lowering her voice, even though the wolf trailing them couldn’t understand their words. “Lothar actually does it on purpose. Lots in his Clan do. The White Fang Clan makes a lot of our warriors, so they purposefully merge with the moon to harness that potential.”
“That’s… Actually kind of interesting,” Rem said, suddenly feeling better with Lothar around. “So why are they called the White Fang Clan, then?”
“They are notorious for only eating raw meat and cleaning their teeth meticulously. Makes for a flashier smile.”
Well, that certainly was not what she expected.
And rather than be afraid or judgmental of Lothar’s Clan, she found itinteresting. Which made her wonder what did the other Silvers think of all of this? Did any of them find the shifters to be curious, or was that just her?
They rode through the streets that belonged to Scarlet Howl, taking a turn on a few more paths until the homes staggered close with one another. Many trees offered large shadows every few feet, broken up by bursts of sunshine.
They dropped the horses off at a stable, Rem patting her horse on the nose and breathing steadily. She could do this.
Walking through the corralling shifters, they passed wolves over twice the size of dogs trotting about. Their limbs were lankier than wolves, their furs shaggier, and their heads squarer. All she could see were powerful beasts built for speed and endurance, casually moving through the crowd of human figures.
They were all of a similar fashion—nice clothes with braided or dreaded hair, metal ornamentation, and tattoos. Some were dirty, and like the shifters from earlier, it somehow enhanced their appearance. It was a fascinating blend of elegant ruggedness. Quite a few of them stared at her like the first shifter did, all looking her way while giving a subtle sniff of the air, and when they stared for too long, Lothar would move closer to Rem.
Rem’s heart nearly stopped when a light gray one took a long sniff and jerked its gaze in her direction, glaring at Rem with an aptitude not fit for the eyes of an animal. The creature’s size intimidated her.
"Why is that wolf, or shifter-wolf, staring?"
"She is staring because you smell different,” Nia said, glancing at them. “At least, that’s my guess.”
"That's ashe? The wolf is huge... And how do I smell different? Please don’t tell me I stink again."
The wolf angled its body towards her, the brown eyes unblinking.
Nia laughed. "More than her would be staring if you smelled like you did before… But no, it’s a different scent. You smell like a human, but your clothes are shifter. It's a subtle but noticeable smell."
The shifter, without warning, averted its gaze after concluding its consideration of her. Rem exhaled with relief.
