I lied, school is boring and we have free wifi.
The heavy rain had lightened for a day, and the sun peeked through occasionally, smattering the ground with patches light. Finn tromped through the fields near the racetrack, enjoying the afternoon. The forests nearby looked to be afire, all dressed in royal golds and reds and browns. The air was crisp, the grass dry, and it wasn’t cold enough for Finn to be bothered. The she-wolf hardly watched where she was stepping, instead intent on examining the new appendages she had acquired; hands. It was strange to see what clearly looked and felt like her paws melded into something entirely different. She was missing the ring finger of her left hand, and the pinky of her right, but it didn’t really matter, as she had gained thumbs.
As she drew closer to the stables, she heard the familiar bellow, and looked up to see Alastair loping towards her. He was at the top of his game, in the fall months. Fit and well fed, with a proud set of antlers that looked sharp enough to tear at the sky. He was happy too, she could tell by the way he lifted his feet and flicked his tail back and forth. They had only been in Cour des Miracles a couple days, but already they were both in high spirits. Finn dropped to all fours and closed the remaining distance. It was a bit awkward, this new body, but she could still run much like she could before.
”Those horses treating you well?” She asked the deer, running an affectionate hand down the side of his neck. He couldn’t understand her, and she him, but the deer snorted and bobbed his head. She’d been a little worried about how Alastair would be with the herd, but they’d accepted him with only a little fuss, and he’d taken to them like a duck to water. In particular, he seemed to have developed a fatherly fondness for the king’s own horse, Rue. Finn had seen them running across the field, side by side, a couple times when she had went to check on him. Actually, she had not just been watching out for Alastair, she had also been looking for Jacquez as well. She had wanted to speak to him ever since she had first shifted, but had not been able to catch him as he went about his duties.
Finn sighed, rubbing Alastair’s nose. The deer was starting to shuffle impatiently, glancing back towards the cluster of horses. ”Jog on, then.” She said, making shooing motions with her hands. The deer was away in a second, running with large, ground-swallowing jumps as was custom to his kind. Finn felt a small pang of regret, but didn’t begrudge her friend for trying to find his own place. Finn drew in a deep breath and stretched, nearly bending over backwards. She felt the vertebrae in her spine crack and pop most pleasingly, and straightened again. She could feel the longing for a good fight thrumming through her veins, but there was no sparring partner in sight.